Half light - The Beginning (Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone)
by CassieBaratheon1305
Summary: This is Harry Potter seen through the eyes of my OCs! There are going to be multiple points of view, there's not just one main character, a lot of friendships, adventure and romance. Please give it a chance to it! I'll make sure to write a proper descrition soon enough!
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone! This is my new fanfiction of Harry Potter. This is just the first Chapter but there going to be a lot of OC's. I hope you'll like it!**

1

PENNY

Penny loved summer, she always had, but she couldn't wait for September to arrive. Usually, she hated September because her older brothers had to leave home to go to school and the house was so quiet without all of them together. But that year was different, she had turned eleven and she was impatient to leave for Hogwarts. Of course she would have missed her parents and her little sister Ginny, but hearing all her brothers Hogwarts was amazing and she couldn't wait to see it herself.

It's been days now that Penny woke up early just to check if there was any mail on the kitchen table, but there never was. Her twin brother Ron was beginning to hating her, since she would always wake up him too. And Ron loved to sleep.

"Ronnie" she said sitting on his bed and shaking his shoulder "Ronnie wake up!"

"Shut up, Penny" he complained with his sleepy voice "Go back to sleep" Ron turned his back at her and covered his head with the pillow.

"But the letter is coming today, I can feel it!" she exclaimed.

"So you did yesterday and the day before and the day before" his voice was muffled by the pillow, but Penny understood him very clearly. She was used to him doing that in the morning, when she was being very persistent, or annoying as he said "And every day since July."

Penny looked at her brother for a moment and then she laid on him, making Ron groan.

"I'm just excited" she said talking at the pillow "It's like I can't stay still."

"And what's new, exactly?" Penny groaned before standing up.

"Alright, it doesn't matter"she exclaimed giving Ron a kiss on the cheek"I'll go by myself."

"For the record" Penny heard her brother say before she could exit their room "You are not making me feel guilty"

The girl closed the door behind her with a little smile. She loved her twin brother. She loved all of her siblings actually. They were so close, all the Weasleys were. It had been very hard for them and their parents to see Bill and Charlie leave England for their jobs. Bill was her big brother, the eldest, everyone looked up to him. He had even been Head Boy at Hogwarts. Her parents were very proud of him. Now Bill wasworking at the Gringott, the wizards' bank, in Egypt. While Charlie was studying dragons in Romania. She missed them dearly but she was happy anyway. If they were happy she was happy. Moreover they wrote them two or three times a week.

Penny run down the stairs of her wooden house. The Weasleys lived in the country side, surrounded by green fields and so many animals. Penny loved animals and magical creatures. She and Charlie used to spend hours talking about strange creatures.

Running in the kitchen, she puffed when she saw no mail on the kitchen table. Every morning had been like that since the beginning of July. She knew the letter would have arrived eventually, she was just looking forward for it.

She looked around, her brothers were still sleeping, her mother should have been awake, maybe she was in the garden. Molly Weasley loved taking care of her garden.

Penny walked out the door and walked to the wooden swing that her grandpa built even before her brother Percy was even born. She set down and start swinging lightly. The morning wind was blowing and she looked at her house. She wanted to go to Hogwarts, but she would have missed that messed, comfy place. Her hand travelled to her dressing gown's pocket, actually Bill's dressing gown, and took her harmonica. That was the gift for her 6th birthday that her family gave to her. She bring it to her mouth and started to play. She didn't know any melody, she always just made them up. It was something that she really loved to do. Sit and play music. Her brothers always said that it was the only time that she didn't speak.

Teasers, they were. But they actually had some kind of a point.

"Good morning, lovely" Penny stopped playing and smiled to her father.

"Hi, daddy!" Arthur Weasley was the best father ever. He was kind and so funny. He had a passion for muggle things and muggles in general. If what he said was true, they were indeed quite fascinating.

"Already playing?" he said. She nodded with a smile, before putting the harmonica back in her pocket.

"Can you push me?" her father laughed at her question, but he started to push her lightly. It was rare to have her father at home all day. He worked for the Ministry of magic, so when he was home they spent all day together. And Penny always loved when he pushed her on the swing.

"Penny!" Penny looked at her mother "How many times do I have to tell you?" she said walking closer "Shoes outside, not slippers" Penny looked down to her white teddy bear slippers. Her mother usually lectured Penny for being too messy, but the girl really couldn't help it, it was in her nature. But this time her mother was right. Penny loved her slippers, her mother made one pair for her every year forChristmas, every timeit was a different animal shape slippers.

"Oh…Sorry, mum" she said standing up with a jump "I hadn't noticed."

"Like always" her mother rolled her eyes but she couldn't hide a small smile "Go inside. Breakfast it's almost ready"

"Wow, sure!" Penny said running to the house.

"And I'll clean your slippers later" she heard her mother said. Her mother was the captain of Weasleys' boat, they would have sank intotal mess if it wasn't for that woman. Penny tried to help her, sometimes, but the messiness was a part of her.

As soon as she entered the kitchen Penny was picked up by two arms and she knew immediately who it was.

"George! Put me down!" she exclaimed laughing.

"Hey, sis" he said starting to tickle her with one hand. Penny pushed it away, she was extremely ticklish.

"Alright, alright I'll put you down" once her feet touched the floor she start to tickle George, who started to laugh. He was fighting her, but not seriously, he and Fred were prankster and Penny believed that they could do almost everything.

"Where's Fred?" she asked noticing that Fred wasn't there with his twin brother.

Yes, their parents hadn't been very lucky, Fred and George were twin brothers too. They were born three years before Ron and Penny. They were the funniest guys that Penny knew, and not just because they were her brothers, but because they always had some plan to do something interesting.

"Well.." but before George could say something, Penny heard a scream. Ron's scream.

"Help!" Ron run in the kitchen, with fear in his eyes and it seemed like he was trying to take something off of his pajama "Get the spider off!" Penny gasped when she heard George and Fred laughing.

"It's not funny!" she exclaimed running to her twin and trying to calm him down.

Ron was terrified by spiders, he panicked when he saw one and unfortunately he was Fred's and George's main victim. It was because of them that Ron feared spiders. When Ron and Penny was four, the poor boy was holding his teddy bear and since he had destroyed one Fred's broom toy, the two boys made appear spider legs on the little teddy bear. No one could blame Ron for being scared now.

"Come on, squirrel"Fred said "It's a little bit funny" Penny glared at them.

She loved their pranks, but not on Ron. She never want anyone to scare her sweet twin.

"Are you sure it's gone?" Ron asked looking at his arms.

"I'm sure" she answered trying to reassuring him.

"Good morning" turning around Penny saw her little sister Ginny preparing the table for breakfast yawning. Penny loved their dinner table. It was always so full of people and every glass was different from the other. They all had their own glass. She heard their parents talk about the other wizard families, the rich families, apparently they pitied them. Penny didn't understand why. Yes, they weren't exactly rich, but her parents loved each other and they loved their children, most of their clothes were homemade and their table was colorful. Those people should shut their mouth.

"Ginny,thank you baby" her mother walked into the kitchen holding a basket of vegetables in her arms. Their parents were always proud of Ginny, she was nice and mature but she had fierce in her that sometimes Penny looked up to her. Penny loved spending time with Ginny. They were the only girls and it was nice to have girl's nights sometimes. She would have missed her at Hogwarts.

"Mum" Penny heard Percy's voice. Percy was two years older than Fred and George and he was the perfect son. He was smart, tidy and strict. He always lectured his younger brothers for... _everything_.

Penny was sure he was already wearing his clothes, like most of the mornings. He wore his pyjamas at breakfast only when he was sick or sad.

"What is it, sweetheart?" Percy walked into the kitchen with letters in his hand.

"They arrived" Penny and Ron run to their brother, asking for the letter.

"I told you they would have arrived today!" Penny exclaimed with a big smile.

"Percy, where is mine?" Ron said and Percy gave him his letter.

"Mine, Percy, mine!" Penny exclaimed.

"Wait, Penny. There is one for everyone" Percy gave her letter. She couldn't believe it. She was holding her letter from Hogwarts. Penny read the words written on it with wide eyes.

" _Miss Penelope Weasley,_

 _Kitchen, Weasleys' House, England"_

She read it over and over, it was a moment so special that she didn't want it to end.

Her mother run next to Ron who was surely feeling like his twin. And suddenly she felt her father arm around her shoulder. She looked up and he was smiling at her.

"Go on, Penny" her father looked at her twin who was waiting for her to open the letter. Smiling at each other they opened them and started to read them.

It was official, in September she would have left home for Hogwarts. She couldn't stop smiling.

She couldn't wait to start this adventure.

Penny was sure it would be _wicked._

 _ **End of first Chapter! I hope you've like it, please let me know. Anyway, thank you for giving a chance to my Fanfiction. I'll be sure to update every week, stay tuned!**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**HI! Welcome back!**_

 _ **Here you go the second chapter of this Fanfiction.**_

 _ **I do not own Harry Potter, I just own my OCs.**_

 _ **Thank you for reading my story! I hope you'll like it!**_

2

CORA

The summer wind was moving her hair while Cora was focused on looking the ball ahead of her. There was no one guarding the football net a few feet awayfrom where the eleven years old was standing. The garden at the back of her house wasn't that big, but it was perfect to practice her kicking and since she was an only child Cora didn't require too much space.

 _Knock, knock_

Cora took a breath before kicking the ball perfectly into the net. There was nothing Cora loved more than football, apart from running. Since she was just four she had started to love to play football. Cora still remembered when she went with her mother Vivianne to buy the practice net, it was probably her favorite thing she possessed. Since she had it fix it in her garden she had played with it at least one hour a day.

 _Knock, knock_

The girl ran to take the ball again, she was looking forward to meeting her friend Tyler with whom she played football once a week, thrice a week now that it was summer.

Cora had known Tyler since first grade and they hadgottenalong immediately even if Tyler was very shy, but Cora didn't mind.

She was ready to kick the ball again when her mother's voice reached her, making her turn to the door.

"Cora" she said with her arms behind her back "Have you listened to a word I've said?" her mother could be very strict sometimes, not as much as Cora's aunt, but she could be and the girl was hard to tame sometimes, but she was learning to restrain herself.

"Sorry, no," Cora said honestly, but the knowing look on her mother's face let her know she was not in trouble.

The woman took a deep breath but her lips turned into a small smile, then she pulled out something from behind her back. Vivianne was holding in one of her hands a letter and Cora could recognize the handwriting from where she was standing.

"Do I have to go to Hogsmeade again?" Cora asked surprised, she had gone the previous month and she was doing good. There hadn't been any accidents in over a year, Cora was very proud of herself.

"Darling, focus." her mother said turning the letter so Cora could see the front. It was different from the others her aunt had sent them. The girl's eyes widened at the sight, seeing a sigil on the letter.

"Is it from Hogwarts?" Cora asked with a smile walking closer to her mother, who nodded her head with a smile. Cora took the letter in her hands and read the words written in green ink:

 _Ms. Cora McGonagall_

 _Living room,_

 _N. 19, Privet Drive_

 _Little Whinging, Surrey._

She got admitted, now it was official: Cora McGonagall was definitely going to Hogwarts.

"So cool" Cora said reading her name again "I have to go" she finally said before giving the letter back to her mother, before turning and picking up the football ball.

"What… Where?" Cora heard her mother asking while she was following the girl into the living room.

"I'm going to play football with Tyler and the guys" she said doing her hair in a high ponytail.

"Aren't you even going to open it?" Vivianne asked puzzled looking at her daughter putting a bottle of water in her bag before putting the ball in as well.

"We are pleased to inform you that you've been accepted to the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry of Hogwarts" Cora said smiling doing her aunt's voice while heading to the door "You need a wand, stuff from Diagon Alley and a cat, a toad or an owl" at that the family owl Marshmallow opened his grey wings.

"See" Cora said pointing at the owl "Even Marsh knows all of that. Aunt Minnie never stopped to repeat that I wouldgo to Hogwarts when I'd turn eleven" Cora fixed the bag on her shoulder before turning to her mother, who looked at her almost defeated, knowing the girl wouldn't stay in the house even if she was chained at the floor.

"Not running again, Cora" Vivianne said "Play and then get back"

Cora nodded "Copy that" she said making her mother smile widely "I'll be back before lunch"

"Good girl" her mother said before turning to walk to the kitchen.

"Bye mum" Cora said before turning to the photo next to the tv. It was her parents' wedding day, they were hugging and smiling at the camera.

"Bye dad" she said before opening the door and running out.

Little Whinging was a normal neighborhood. As a muggle neighborhood is supposed to be, her aunt Minnie always said. Cora liked it though. Vivianne had lived in their house since she was a child and so has Cora. Muggle house, muggle school, and muggle mother. Cora frequently even forgot she was a witch if it wasn't for the owl who brought her aunt's letters and few accidents Cora had caused due to her powers. Her aunt told her that even Cora's father had some problems with magic, like most of the young witches and wizards.

Robert McGonagall was Cora's father, he had met Vivianne almost as a mistake but they fell in love fast, even if he was ten years older than her mother.

Cora was walking fast to Tyler's house who was just a few houses away. Number 3 of Privet Drive. Tyler had a very pretty house but Cora and her friends usually played somewhere else since Tyler's neighborwas Dudley Dursley.

Dudley was eleven just like Cora and he was known among the children of that street because he and his friends liked to bully almost everyone, even his own cousin who, unlike Dudley, was very quiet and rarely got out from the house at number four. His name was Harry, if Cora remembered correctly.

She was almost at Tyler's house when a strange noise made her turn. Cora frowned at the sight of Mr. Dursley kneeled in front of the door trying to close the letter hole of the door. She eyed him noticing how much Dudley looked like his father, fat with small eyes. Cora shook her head turning to knock on Tyler's door.

Her friend opened almost immediately.

"Hi, Cora" he said with a smile.

"Hey, ready to go?" She asked waving her hand to Tyler's mum who was speaking at the phone.

"Yeah" Tyler said "I'll just grab the bag and then we can go" Cora nodded smiling, before Tyler get back inside. She waited at the door turning again towards the number Four. Now even Dudley's mother was out. She was tall and skinny with an extremely long neck and she seemed nervous looking at her husband still kneeled on the floor.

Her mother had spoken to the Dursleys sometimes, they always tried to seem like the perfect normal family, but they turned out always very awkward according to Vivianne. Just awkward people could have made the awkward Dudley according to Cora.

"What in the world is he doing?" Cora asked as soon as Tyler step out of the house and she heard him made a sarcastic noise.

"Who knows?" He said "They've been acting strange since yesterday" Cora saw Dudley's mum looking their direction and widening her eyes before waving to them trying to hiding her nervousness. The two of them waved back with fake smiles before starting to head to the park.

"Maybe they are just afraid of the wolf" then Tyler started to laugh "They think it will enter the house from the postbox" Cora rolled her eyes amused.

"Again with the wolf?" She asked turning to her friend.

"Say what you want" he replied "People saw it and they said it wasn't a dog" Cora laughed.

"Grey and howling, how do you call it?" Tyler asked sarcastically.

"Not. A. Wolf" Cora said before start running "Come on, let's see who is faster".

A wolf in Little Whinging. How people could believe such thing? Someone had seen an animal running in the neighborhood for years so everyone was sure it was a wolf and always looked behind their backs when they walked in the street. But it was ridiculous. There wasn't a wolf in Little Whinging.

 _ **So there's Cora, I have so much fun every time I write her. I really hope you liked her, please let me know your thoughts!**_

 _ **Thank you so for have read my story!**_

 ** _Next monday another chapter!_**

 ** _Ciao, ciao!_**


	3. Chapter 3

_**Hi everyone!**_

 _ **Third Chapter, new character! I hope you'll like it!**_

 _ **I do not own Harry Potter, I just own my OCs.**_

3

CORDELIA

There was nothing better than a book, to Cordelia it was like living hundreds of different lives in hundreds of different places. On her lap she could feel Charms muzzle nuzzling every now and spent hours reading in her chamber, next to her bedroom there was a room just for her books, a chair in front of the window which faced the forest where the Malfoy Manor was. In that room she spent most of the day, not just reading but even painting, it was what most gave her peace.

A knock from the door made her look up"MissCordelia, miss" Dobby voice came from the other side.

"Come in, Dobby" Cordelia said seeing the sweet house elf picking in with his head. In the moment he step in Charm ran to him waving his tail happily, but the elf stood still with a nervous expression.

"Is everything alright?" the girl asked putting her book aside. Dobby nodded messing with his dirty cloth he used to dress. Cordelia could already imagine what was the reason behind Dobby's nervousness.

"The master wants to see you" he said with a trembling voice. Cordelia got up with a breath before fixing her skirt with her hands.

"Alright, then" Cordelia said heading to the door "Thank you, Dobby" she smiled down at the house elf before patting Charm's head letting him understand to follow her. Dobby was a sweet elf and many times Cordelia's cousin, Narcissa, had told her how much her husband, Lucius Malfoy, didn't approve her being kind to a servant; but Cordelia was nonetheless, Lucius didn't spend so much time with Cordelia and in all honesty the girl couldn't care less what the man said. He had never been polite to her for all her life. Cordelia knew too well what he was after, after all.

The Malfoys Manor was huge, made ofwhite and black stones, and Cordelia's chambers were at the other side of the house and that made the fourteen years old able to have a lot of alone time, which she didn't mind, apart from meals or when guests arrived.

Cordeliaran giggling watching Charm following her happily. Charm was her two years old pup, Cordelia had bought it with her own money and brought him home. Her nephew, Draco, didn't like him very much, like his father. Narcissa allowed Cordelia to take Charm, just if the girl was the one to take care of it personally. They even managed to get Cordelia to bring him at Hogwarts with her.

"Still in your nightgown, I see" Lucius' voice made her stop on her track, knowing how much the man hated when she ran around the house. Cordelia looked down from the top of the stairs and her gaze fell on Lucius sit on one of the black leather chairs in the living room. He was dressed in black with his snake shaped cane in his hand, his blond almost white hair was tight in a low ponytail. His eyes were on her and they were looking at her sternly.

"It's ten in the morning"Cordelia said walking towards him.

"You should act like a Black is supposed to do" Lucius reproved her like he was a Black himself.

"Did you wanted to see me?" she asked doing her best to be polite.

But before he could answer Narcissa's voice made her turn her head "Cordelia" the woman said looking at her up and down "Why aren't you dress yet?" her cousin was wearing a dark green dress and her blond hair were hanging over her shoulder.

"I was reading" the girl said looking down her white gown.

"This is an important day" Narcissa said walking closer to her husband who didn't seem as excited as his wife "We are going to buy Draco's wand" she said proudly thinking about her son. Draco was three years younger than Cordelia and he had just received his letter a few days back. There was nothing Narcissa loved more than Draco and sometimes Cordelia found herself wondering if her mother loved her that much or she was cold as Lucius was.

"Should I come too?" Cordelia asked looking at her cousin.

"You live in this house" Lucius said with a vicious tone standing up from his chair "And if I recall correctly we are your guardians, that means that if we say you are coming, you are coming"

"Guardian of a guest" Cordelia muttered turning to get back in her chambers and get dress.

"What did you say?" Lucius demanded while Narcissa held him by the forearm.

"Nothing" Cordelia said taking a breath before start walking, but Lucius' voice made her stop again.

"And don't wear that Gryffindor scarf of yours" he said almost disgusted. He never forgave her for being sorted in Gryffindor, like it was her fault. She liked her house, but it didn't matter how many times Cordelia tried to make the Malfoys to change their minds about it, they never did.

Life with the Malfoys wasn't easy unlike many people could think. Two fellow Gryffindor from her year back at Hogwarts always said that she had everything, but they were the lucky ones: they had a big family and so much love. Cordelia had no parents and brothers anymore and her only relatives always reminded her that she wasn't a Malfoy but a guest. Her cousin Narcissa was warmer, as much as a Black in Malfoy could be, she had never been a mother to her, her attentions were only for her son; not that Cordelia blamed her for that.

"What do you think, Charm?" Cordelia asked finishing to fixing the red shirt that her best friend Sienna sent her for her birthday.

Charm barked happily "I think you are right" Cordelia said with a smile "He said no scarf, he didn't say anything about shirts" she then give Charm a kiss before walking out her chamber closing the door to prevent Charm to get out.

"You are coming too?" Draco's voice made her turn before she could stepping down the stairs. He was walking towards her fixing his cape on his shoulders. He looked so much like his father: same blond almost white hair and grey eyes.

When he got closer he looked at her shirt "why do you always have to make him angry?"

She smiled at the boy "It's just a shirt, Draco. We can't always wear green now, can we?"

They walked down the stairs in silence before Cordelia looked at Draco and asked "Excited?"

"Should I?" He asked scrolling his shoulders "It's a wand" Cordelia nodded eyeing him, he noticed her staring so he turned to her "Why? Were you?"

"A bit" she said remembering how happy she was when she bought her wand, that object meant that she was finally going to school and she couldn't be happier "But there is nothing wrong if you aren't" Draco nodded his head silently deep in thoughts. Sometimes he acted like a spoiled child, but sometimes he just acted silently and nervously, most of all when he had to spend time with his father. Cordelia and Draco weren't exactly close, but she could see how lonely he was, even if he was too proud. The two of them weren't that different after all.

"What have you thought?" he asked suddenly "When you were sorted in Hogwarts"

Cordelia thought of that moment and she smiled "I was thinking about the ceiling"

Draco frowned "Ceiling?"

"In Hogwarts the ceiling of the Great Hall seems a sky" Cordelia said with a smile "I've never seen anything more beautiful"

Draco looked at her as if he wanted to be sure she wasn't lying. When he was satisfied he nodded, from his expression she could tell he was deep in thought and somehow she could wonder what he was worry about.

"You know that there is nothing wrong in not being sorted in Slytherin, right?" Draco look up to her, then his gaze fell on his father not so distant from them.

"I'm not sure about that" he said, then his Lucius looked in their direction.

"Draco" he called out harshly making the boy shift "Hurry up, we have to go"

"Yes, father" Draco almost whispered before walking towards his parents. Cordelia looked at them before her and took a breath. That was a rich life, not so happy thought. She would have like to run away from that place, but to go where? For now Hogwarts was enough.

 ** _Thanks for reading it!_**

 ** _I hope you've liked Cordelia, please let me know!_**

 ** _Have a good week, guys. See you next monday with the fourth chapter and the introduction with the last of my main OCs._**

 ** _Ciao, ciao._**


	4. Chapter 4

_**Hi everyone! sorry for the delay, but I'm going to publish two chapters today!**_

 _ **I do not own Harry Potter, just my OCs.**_

 _ **I hope you'll enjoy it!**_

4

RACHEL

It had been three weeks now that Rachel had come back in Hogwarts, but she still hadn't finished unpacking her things. Actually she had almost got everything out of the boxes, the last things were the pictures that she set every were special pictures to her, so she never left them at school when she went back home for the summer.

Rachel Harvey worked in Hogwarts as the school'scounselor; a friend for the students, Dumbledore said to her the day she was hired. Back then she wasn't too excited to have a so social job, but she needed to get out from her house and now, nine years later, she was glad she had accepted the headmaster's offer.

She took the first picture that she saw when she opened the box. A little boy with pink and plump cheeks was smiling on his first birthday's cake with the sign " _Happy 1_ _st_ _Birthday, Harry"_ on it. On his each sides there were his parents: a young woman with red hair and green eyes and a young man with messed black hair and round glasses around his running a finger on the boy's were happy days, maybe they all had to enjoy them more… while they could.

Rachel started to position the pictures, looking at one by one before putting them down. She had took all of those pictures herself, with a muggle camera. Indeed all of the people in those were still, unlikely the wizard's pictures, where who was in it moved. Even the portraits all around the corridors of Hogwarts were like that. Rachel remembered the first time she had seen them when she was just eleven. She was amazed and she spent hours of her first year at the school of magic studying those people painted, who seemed to leave a normal life inside a portrait.

She smiled at her parents faces on another picture. Rachel had took it at Christmas Eve many years before. Her parents hadn't even noticed her doing it and her mother always told her to chose another, but that was her favorite. Rachel took it and put it on the usual spot on her desk, then she turned to the box to look for the picture that she always put next her parents'.

 _I can't have forget it,_ she thought searching in the box. Rachel put just few photos in her study, the rest she put in her private chamber. They weren't a lot and she couldn't believe the one she was looking for was missing. Suddenly she noticed something on the floor and she gave out a breath when she recognized the black fur and shiny eyes of the dog in the picture.

Rachel was looking at it when someone knocked at her door. She quickly put it down on its usual spot before turning to give herself a look at the mirror, to check if she was presentable, and then she opened the door, to see Minerva McGonagall standing there in front of her. Minerva wore always a strict face, even if she was relaxed, now Rachel knew, but when that woman was her professor she thought she hated her.

"Good morning" Rachel greeted her with a smile.

"Good morning, Rachel" the woman answered "Professor Dumbledore wants to see you" Rachel nodded closing the door behind her. If Dumbledore wanted to see her, it must had been important.

Albus Dumbledore was Hogwarts' headmaster and he was considered, maybe, the greatest wizards of their times. He had been headmaster for a long time, since before Rachel studied at Hogwarts, but something was sure, they had been all very lucky to have him as a modeling role. He was very kind, wise and smart. He managed to charm everyone with his words.

Rachel followed professor McGonagall to Dumbledore's office. It was circular, full of books and enchanted painting of the previous headmasters of Hogwarts. Rachel knocked to let the man know about her presence.

"Rachel, hello dear" he greeted her with the usual kind smile "Thank you, Minerva" the woman nodded before leaving the room.

"Come here, dear, come here" she almost smiled, he had always seemed like a grandpa who was happy to see his grandchildren "A lemon drop?" He asked once she sat on the chair in front of him.

"No, thank you, headmaster" he smiled shoving one candy in his mouth. Sometimes it seemed like he offered a candy just has an excuse to eat one.

"I need you for a job" he said chewing his lemon drop.

"A job, sir?" At her words he nodded focused on opening another candy.

"It's about Harry Potter" at the mention of his name, Rachel moved closer. He must have noticed, because he looked at her over his glasses with light eyes, before returning to his candy "It seems that he didn't got his letter" how was it possible? She was there when professor McGonagall had wrote his letter for Hogwarts.

"I'm sorry, let me rephrase that" the man said, having noticed her confused expression "The letter had arrived, but it hadn't been opened" he ate his candy "I'm afraid that Mr and MrsDursley didn't let young Harry read his letter" the Dursleys. She had never spoken with MrDursley, but she had met Petunia Dursley a couple of times. Petunia was Harry's mother's older sister. Lily Potter loved her sister, but they had never got along since Lily found out she was a witch. Petunia hated magic, she had always have. Rachel should have thought that she didn't want for her nephew to study magic.

"I need for you to bring one for him and, if it's needed, bring him here. Of course he will need help with his shopping in Diagon Alley" at those words Rachel looked down at her hands resting on her lap. She wanted to see Harry, she really did, but suddenly a tight knot formed in her chest.

"Sir" Rachel said after taking a breath "I don't know if I'm the best choice"

Dumbledore's lips curved in a soft smile and his eyes were looking at her with that kind of gaze that he frequently reserved her. The kind of gaze that reminded her of too many things.

"I think you are the best choice for many reasons" He said kindly "And you know it too" Rachel nodded taking a breath. Seeing Harry again brought back many memories that she wasn't sure she was ready to face again.

"It wasn't your fault, Rachel" at those words Rachel closed her eyes, nodding her head.

"Yes.. I know. I know" She said softly.

"Then what are you afraid of?" the man asked putting another Lemon drop in his mouth.

"Nothing, I guess" she said finally accepting the candy Dumbledore was handing her.

"Moreover you won't be alone" Dumbledore said with an encouraging smile "Hagrid will be with you" Rachel smiled at that. Frequently during the years Hagrid had talked about Harry in front of a cup of tea. Rachel smiled lightly before standing up.

"I'll go get ready" Dumbledore seemed happy about that.

"Sure, sure" he said standing up and accompanying her to the door "Hagrid is ready, when you have done, just go to him"

"Of course" She said with a smile "Good day, Headmaster"

She was about to leave when Dumbledore stopped her "Oh, there is just a little problem"

Rachel frowned "What problem?"

She couldn't believe that the Dursleys had brought Harry in the middle of the sea. How could normal people leave their house to go in the middle of nowhere?

Rachel walked quickly in the corridors of the school and when she arrived at her study and opened the door she stopped on her track. Before her there was Severus Snape in his usual black cape and his serious expression. But then her gaze fixed on what he was holding in his hand: some ofher pictures.

"What are you doing here?" she asked crossing her arms over her chest.

The man before her didn't even looked up in her direction "Just passing by" Severus said almost bored.

"In my study?" Rachel asked trying not to be rude.

"Maybe you needed help with your… _packing_ " Severus said almost mockingly. If she wasn't so irritated by the fact that he was sticking his nose in her things she would have even laughed.

"As you ever helped" she said. Severus Snape was a teacher at Hogwarts, the potion master. He was probably the person who was best at potion she had ever knew, she couldn't deny it. Even when they were just students at Hogwarts, Severus had a natural talent in that subject. But the both of them had never got along, not as children, nor as adults.

"What do you want for real?"

Severus smirked, he could be very sinister sometimes "I told you, just passing by" Rachel fought the urge of rolling her eyes "But then I got caught up with this" He said showing her one of the few photos he had in his hands "You were truly a photographer" she put her hands on her hips taking a breath "I remember you, always creeping around with that camera of yours"

He and she had very different memories of those days.

"Yeah" she said sarcastically " _I_ was the one creeping around"

"At least you had some kind of talent" he said with that smirk never leaving his face "Especially…this one"

Rachel's heart stopped a bit when she noticed the picture Snape was showing her. Her body froze watching at the two people laughing at each other in the photo.

"Didn't know you still kept this" he said watching closely her reaction, but she didn't drop her gaze "What for? If I may ask"

Rachel looked at him for a moment before speaking again "Being polite to you is never good"

"You? Polite?" Snape moved closer to her showing her the picture in front of her eyes, like she had never seen it before "To be with him you couldn't be polite"

Her hand moved fast taking the picture away from his grasp.

"Get out" Rachel said bitterly. He did it, he had been able to make her snatch. He liked to do that, bring back school's time knowing how much she didn't want to talk about it.

"Did I said something wrong?" Snape asked mockingly.

"Now" she said closing her hold on the picture. He just smirked before walking away from her, heading to the door. In the moment he step out from the room, Rachel closed the door, slamming it. She closed her eyes taking a long breath.

Severus had always been like this, since school. When they were just children she thought that it was because of their Houses', but growing up he choose nasty friends and a dark path.

Her gaze fell on the boy on the picture. He was seventeen, handsome figure and shiny eyes. She looked at a young herself being hold close by the boy.

"Dark path" she muttered looking at him. No one had ever saw that picture, she usually set it in one of her books. It must have fell from it. Her mother had told her to get rid of it and… other things. Rachel had tried, but she never could.

Suddenly a loudknock made her jump and she quickly put the photo in the drawer of her desk.

"Rae" the roaring voice of Hagrid came from the other side of the door. She moved to open it and she faced the kind tall man. RubeusHagrid was the gatekeeper of Hogwarts and he was probably the kindest person Rachel had ever met. He was very tall, too tall for an ordinary person. Maybe his anchestors were giants.

"Hi, Hagrid" she said with a smile.

"Are yeralrigh'?" He asked with a frown.

"Yes, yes" Rachel answered pushing aside bad thoughts.

Hagrid seemed happy by her words "Good. I came here to wait ya. I already feed Fang. Do you mind?"

"No, of course not" she said kindly "I'll just grab my jacket and we can go"

He laughed loudly "Yer and yermuggle clothes" Rachel smiled, she never wore wizards' clothes, she felt more comfortable with her usual clothes.

"Oh" Hagrid exclaimed "Yer got a gift?

"Gift?" He smiled.

"You are too focused on your work" He said "Today is the 30thof July" she gasped. Harry's birthday was the following day,how could she haven't noticed that?

"I made a cake" Hagrid said proud of himself "Yer?"

She actually had something, she hadbought it during the winter, not even sure she would have ever given it to Harry. She knelt down beside her trunk. She searched in the pocket to find a little box wrapped in a colorful paper.

"Oh" Hagrid said "I can't wait for him to open it"

She smiled at his words. Rachel looked at the box unsure of what to do. What would Harry have thought about a stranger bringing him a gift?

 _What he would thought about Hagrid,_ a voice inside herself said. The sweet man didn't seem to think about it, maybe she shouldn't either.

"Do we go?" He asked her with a smile.

Rachel put the box in her bag, she would think about what to do when she saw Harry.

"Sure" she said before following Hagrid out of the room.

 **Thanks for reading it! With this chapter I've introduced all the main OCs of my Fanfiction. From now on the story is going to start and I hope you'll like it! Please let me know in the comments.**

 **Ciao, ciao!**


	5. Chapter 5

_**As I promised, the story is officially begun! Enjoy!**_

 _ **I do not own Harry Potter, just my OCs.**_

5

RACHEL

 _Crack._

When Rachel opened her eyes in front of her there was the sea. The waves were slamming against the rocks of the shore, the wind was blowing and the rain was falling on her face.

"How could they even find this place?" Rachel muttered looking at the house made of dark stones. It was a miracle it was still standing.

"No idea, Rae" Hagrid said walking to the wood door.

"Do you want me to open it?" she asked crossing her arms over her chest to shelter herself from the cold.

"Nah, don't worry" He said.

Rachel looked her watch on her wrist. When Hagrid started to bang loudly at the door, her clock signed midnight. It was officially the 31st of July.

The more Hagrid pushed the door the more Rachel felt nervous. At the other side there was Harry. Did he knew what happened? What did he know about her?

A loud noise took her from her thoughts and when she looked ahead of her she noticed the wooden door at the floor.

"Hagrid" Rachel exclaimed smiling softly.

The man looked at her hiding a smile "I'll pick it up" then he gestured her to head inside.

When Rachel step in the room she frowned. How could they even know about a place like that?

It was an old house and cold. It was easy to understand that nobody lived there, not now nor for years.

A man not very tall, but very plump was shivering in the room holding a rifle to them. He was surely MrDursley, it was the first time she saw him. Behind him Petunia Dursley was hiding. She was tall and skinny as Rachel remembered, but the last time she had seen her Petunia was still an Evans.

On the old sofa, not far from the door, there was a plump boy frozen looking at them. He must have been eleven too and he looked very much like his father. Rachel tried to but she couldn't remember the kid's name.

Suddenly her breath itched in her throat. A lanky boy, with messy black hair was looking at her behind his glasses with his green eyes.

 _Oh God,_ she thought looking at him.

"Couldn't make us a cup o' tea, could yeh?" Hagrid's voice had her jump "It's not been an easy journey, yeah Rae?" she just nodded and then went back to look at Harry, standing near the wall observing them with curios eyes.

"An' here's Harry!" Hagrid said cheerfully before turning to her "Can yeh believe it?" but Rachel was too focused on the boy a few feet away from her.

Hagrid laughed again "Las' time I saw you, you was only a baby. Yeh look a lot like yer father" He was so alike, it was like seeing James before her again but not his eyes.

"But you've got your mother's eyes" Rachel find herself saying stepping forward. Harry looked at her again.

"Hi.." She was sure she had whispered it, but she didn't because Harry spoke kindly.

"Hi" Rachel's lips tugged in a smile, a real one.

"I'm Rachel" she presented herself "Rachel Harvey"

Harry was about to answer but Petunia groaned making him stop.

"I demand you to leave. Both of you!" MrDursley exclaimed, pointing the gun at Rachel. But Hagrid step forward taking the gun away from the man's hand, before throwing it away.

"Ah shut up, Dursleyyeh great prune" Hagrid said with a roaring voice.

"I'm very sorry for our rude entering" Rachel said turning to Harry's uncles and they step back "But I assure you, we mean no harm" when she looked back at Harry, he was smiling at her and she found herself doing the same.

Suddenly she remembered the box in her bag. Without thinking too much Rachel started to search for Harry's birthday present.

"I.. uhm" Rachel said shyly and Harry looked at her with eyes full of curiosity "I know today is your birthday" she handed him the present and Harry seemed amazed by it like he had never saw a gift before.

"Is it for me?" He asked unsure of taking the box.

"Yes, sure" she answered kindly.

Harry smiled widely before taking the gift and starting to unwrap the paper around it. Rachel observed him stepping towards him when he finally saw his present. It was a stuffed animal shaped as a stag. She really hoped Harry liked it.

The boy looked up to her with his green eyes "It's beautiful"

"Really?" He nodded at her question with a smile.

"I never had one" she didn't know if she heard him right, but perhaps he never had a stuffed stag.

Hagrid then come closer to them with a giant smile on his face, handing a box to the boy.

"A very happy birthday to yeh" He exclaimed "This is for yeh. I made it for yeh"

Harry took the box and when he opened it Rachel smiled seeing a chocolate cake with _Happy birthday Harry_ written on it. It wasn't pleasing at the eyes, but it was a very nice gesture to making him a cake.

"Thank you" Harry said before looking the both of them and ask "But… who are you?"

Hagrid chuckled "Oh yeah! I'm RubeusHagrid. Call me Hagrid. I'm the Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts" then Hagrid turned to Rachel "And Rae here is councilor of Hogwarts, students love her" Rachel took a tress of hair behind her ear smiling shyly. Then Hagrid clapped his hands together.

"So what about that tea, Rae?"

"That would be lovely" she said sitting on the sofa next to Hagrid. It was freezing cold, how did they even managed to sleep in there?

 _Where was Harry sleeping, anyway?_ Rachel thought noticing just a bedroom in the house. She turned to look at the boy who was smiling down at the stuffed animal in his hands. He was so like James.

Suddenly the boy looked up and turn to them.

"I'm sorry" he said wanting to be kind "But I still don't know who you are"

"I told yeh" Hagrid said with a chuckle "I'm Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts" Rachel looked at Harry's face still confused.

"Do you know about Hogwarts?" she asked softly. Harry turned to her and shook his head.

"No" then he looked at their expressions and he quickly added "I'm sorry"

"It's not yeh who should be sorry, but them!" Hagrid roared turning to the Dursleys who step back in fear "Haven't you wondered where your parents learn it all?"

"All what?"

Rachel knew how Petunia hated magic, but keep Harry in the dark about who he was, when she knew it well, wasn't right. Rachel wondered what else they had kept away from him? But before she could say anything, Hagrid roared getting up and walking to the Dursleys yelling at them how could Harry not know anything.

"I know some things!" Harry protested resentfully "I can do, you know, math and stuff" Rachel took a breath before opening her eyes and seeing Harry looking at her confused. She couldn't help but smile smiled at him.

"I'm sure you do" Rachel said gesturing Harry to set down not far from her "Hagrid wasn't meaning that"

"Exactly!" Hagrid said calmly to Harry "I was talking about my world, your world, our world"

Harry's green eyes bit in confusion "What world?"

"DURSLEY!" Hagrid roared angrily again.

Rachel took another breath, he was really scaring the boy's uncles; Vernon was pale as a ghost and Petunia was shacking behind her husband. So Rachel stood up and walked to Hagrid. She gently put an hand on the man's forearm.

"Hagrid, come on, get your voice down. You are scaring them" Rachel said without looking at the two Muggles.

"I know, Rae" he said shacking lightly "But if ter didn't said anything abou' it, what else didn't ter tell him? Maybe he doesn't even know abou'…" he stopped suddenly. Rachel could see him biting his lips under the huge beard, his eyes suddenly sad.

"I…" Rachel knew what her friend was talking about and suddenly she felt her breath labored slightly "I'm sure they did"

"Yeh must know about your parents, Harry. Did ter talked abou' them?!" Rachel didn't turn to Harry her eyes fixed on Petunia, who, still shacking, was looking at her with angry eyes.

"You didn't?" asked Rachel in a whisper taking a step towards the Muggles.

"Don't come any closer!" roared Vernon, making her stop.

"I won't" Rachel assured "But… did you? Or not?" the couple before her didn't answer "Petunia" Rachel said directly to the woman almost pleading "Does he know?"

"Know what?!" She heard Harry say behind her.

"Yeh didn't let him read the letter that Dumbledore left?!" Hagrid roared once again "He did it Rae, I was there that night!" Rachel head spun for a moment. That night. She really didn't want to think about that night. Everything had changed after that night.

"Stop the both of you!" yelled Vernon bringing Rachel back to reality "I forbid you to say anything!" Rachel turned to Harry; he was standing up, a confused expression on his face. He didn't know… he didn't know anything. For a moment she wondered if maybe it was better that way. Maybe it was best for everyone.

Suddenly though the thought of Lily and James came back in her mind. They deserved it. Their son deserved to know why they weren't with him. Why they couldn't grew him up, like they wanted and like Harry deserved. She felt her own body became tense, her eyes were watering and she really needed to took some breaths to calm herself.

"I don't care" Hagrid said turning to "Yer a wizard Harry" after that silence fell in the room, even Petunia had stopped to whimper. The only sound was the angry wind against the house and the waves moving the water all around them.

"I'm… what?" asked Harry with a gasp.

"A wizard" Hagrid repeated setting down "Of course yeh'll have to train up a bit. But with parents like yers, you can't be nothing but a good'un. Am I right…" but he stopped suddenly before continuing "Of course. Of course I'm right"

Rachel was still almost paralyzed in that room. She had always hoped that Harry didn't knew about that night, too afraid to face him. But now, having to be the one to tell him… opening again that part of her life was too much. She had worked so hard to try and live again. But Harry had to know, he had too.

"Rae!" Hagrid's voice made her turn "Have yeh heard?" Rachel shook softly her head. Hagrid looked at her with sweet eyes "Don't yeh think is abou' time for Harry to read his letter" Rachel nodded once again, opening her bag and looking in it for the letter. When she found it, she walked to Harry handing him the piece of paper. He seemed really confused, but when he took the letter from her hand he looked closely to her, like he was studying her.

"Are you ok?" he asked kindly.

Rachel couldn't help but smile lightly down at the boy "Yeah… yes" she said "What are you waiting for? Open it" she said trying to be encouraging. Suddenly she felt a big hand taking her own and turning she saw Hagrid smiling at her, gesturing her to sit next to him.

Rachel felt suddenly excited when she saw Harry opening his letter with shaking hands. The thought of him going to Hogwarts relaxed her. She couldn't believe he was already eleven.

"He is not going!" Vernon yelled angrily again, making Rachel and Hagrid turn to him.

"I'd like ter see a great Muggle stop him" Hagrid said almost laughing of anger.

"Muggles?" at Harry's question Rachel turned to him.

"Not magical folks" she said with a little smile before turning to Vernon seriously "You can't stop him. This is what he is, accept it"

Vernon face became suddenly red "It's not on you to decide!" he said pointing his plump fingers to her "We swore we'd put a stop to this rubbish when we took him. It was up to _us_ to decide" Rachel bit her lips looking at her hands on her lap.

"You knew?" Harry said.

"Of course we knew" Petunia spat suddenly walking closer "How could you not be, my dratted sister being what she was" Rachel's eyes fixed on Petunia "She got that letter, disappeared to the school and came back every vacation with all those rubbish. But I was the only one to see her for what she was… a freak!" Rachel clanged her hands so much that her hands became white. For a moment she really thought of hex her, but she had to keep calm.

"Then she met that Potter" Petunia kept saying "They left and got married and had you. Of course I knew you'd be just as strange, just as… abnormal. And then, if you please, she went and got herself blown up and we got landed with you"

Rachel suddenly stood up so fast that even Hagrid could stop her.

"And what would you know?!" Rachel exclaimed making the woman take a step back "You weren't there, Petunia. It wasn't a game! But you would have known if you didn't pushed her away" Rachel's eyes were watering "That times… that times had been awful, scary… dark…"

"But…" Harry asked with a pale face "What happened?"

Rachel's body froze once again. In a moment she relived all those years in her mind. All the people she had lost, all those dark times that she pushed at the back of her mind. Forcing them there, trying to lock them away.

Rachel looked Hagrid with pleading eyes, trying to find some help.

"A'right" he said understanding "I suppose everything started with… a person called… It's incredible you don't know"

"Who?" Harry asked.

"He can't know Hagrid" Rachel said glaring at Petunia still in front of her.

"I don't like to say his name, no one does" Hagrid said looking at Harry "This wizard became bad… very, very bad"

"Could you write it down?" Harry suggested seeing the discomfort in Hagrid's voice.

"His name was Voldemort" Rachel said fighting the shiver running down her spine. The thought of him and of everything he brought with him still hunted her, like everyone.

"About twenty years ago, he started to gatering followers" Rachel continued "There were a lot of them, all for different reasons: seeking of power, same view or fear. But every person at his side gave him more power"

Hagrid nodded his head "Those were dark times, Harry. The only safe place was Hogwats, because of Dumbledore. You-know-who was scared of him" Rachel put a strand of hair behind her ear. Maybe he was afraid of Dumbledore, but it wasn't so safe… not for muggleborns, anyway.

"Yer mum an' dad were as good as witch and wizard as I have ever knew" Hagrid said "Very close to Dumbledore… maybe You-Know-Who just wanted'emotta the way…" Rachel was now looking outside the window looking at the storm outside. Her breathing was still fast and her eyes still watering. _What he wanted…_

"One night he just turned up in the village where you were all living" Rachel said without turning "It was Halloween, ten years ago. You were just a year old" she hid a small sad smile, but then she stopped. She really couldn't make herself to go any further.

"He then…" Hagrid tried but he stopped to blew his nose, even he was at the edge of tears "Sorry. It's just so sad… they were so nice. But…" he took a deep breath "This is the myst'ry… he tried to kill you"

Rachel eyes moved slightly to Harry, who was looking at Hagrid, before coming back to look the dark water.

"But he couldn't do it" she said.

"That's why you got that scar" Hagrid said nodding "No one ever lived after that curse. No yer parents, the McKinnons, the Bones, the Prewentts…" each one of those name was like a stub to Rachel… everyone of them…

"But not yer. Yer were just a boy and you lived" Hagrid looked Harry sadly "I took yer away from there, myself"

"Loads of tosh!" the voice of Vernon Dursley broke the painful silence that had felt among them "Now listen, boy. I accepted you strangeness and the thing about your parents, well they were weirdos and the world is better off without them…"

Rachel took out her wand in a movement and the light bulb not so far from Vernon exploded, making the man gasp and Petunia scream in fear.

"Just one more word" Rachel said looking at the Muggles in front of them. How could he say something like that? They didn't have compassion, nor for Lily and James… nor for Harry. She hadn't been that angry in years. She knew that the Dursleys didn't want anything to do with the Potters, but feeling nothing over their death… how could they? How could Petunia?

When Vernon stood silent, Hagrid nodded, as angry as she was "That's better" then he turned to Harry "See? You'll be right famous at Hogwarts"

"I told you, he is not going!" Vernon yelled again.

"If Harry wants to go, he'll go" Rachel almost growled "I'll make sure of it" Hagrid stood up next to Rachel.

"Harry's off ter the finest school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world, an'd he'll be under the greatest headmaster that Hogwarts ever had; Albus Dumbledore"

"I'm not paying for some crackpot old fool to teach him magic tricks!" that was Vernon's last mistake. Hagrid pointed his pink umbrella towards Dursley angrily, and Rachel wasn't really about to stop him.

"Never" thundered Hagrid "Insult Albus Dumbledore in front of me!" he swished his umbrella towards Dudley, sparkles flew in the air and suddenly the boy was running around with his hands on his bottom. When he turned, Rachel could see a little pig tail coming out from the back of his trousers. She glared at Hagrid. She would have liked to see Vernon dancing and screaming like that. Petunia looked over to Rachel who just scrolled her shoulders, then Vernon took his family to run into the other room, locking the door.

When Rachel turned she saw Harry laughing incredulously. Hagrid then asked at Harry not to talk about him using magic. Hagrid had been expelled from Hogwarts and because of that he wasn't allowed to use his wand, that was now in his umbrella… well pieces of it.

"Come on" Hagrid said "We gotta go, Rae. It's getting late" then he walked out of the house.

Harry looked around the room, almost unsure "You can choose whatever you want, Harry" she said "It's up to you" Then he looked up at Rachel and she felt like knowing what was his decision. He took the stuffed dear that was now on the sofa and he ran to her taking her hand. Rachel froze once again feeling his hand in hers. Harry was looking at her over his round glasses.

"You'll accompany me?" he asked kindly. Rachel found herself smile to him.

"Of course" then she took her umbrella in her bag and started to walk outside hand in hand with Harry.

"What are you wearing, by the way?" she asked looking down at the over too big clothes the boy was wearing.

 _ **Thanks for reading it, I hope you've like it! Please let me know you're thoughts about it!**_

 ** _Wait for next mondey with the new Penny's chapter._**

 ** _Ciao, ciao!_**


	6. Chapter 6

_**HI! New Penny's Chapter!**_

 _ **I hope you'll like it.**_

 _ **I do not own Harry Potter, just my OCs.**_

 _ **Enjoy!**_

6

PENNY

Penny was jumping up and down in front of the mirror, tightening her red hair in a braid. Her cheeks were hurting because of her smiling, she hadn't stopped since the letter arrived.

"Have you done, already?" Penny could see Ron reflection in her mirror. She had always shared the room with Ron. Their room was the highest of all of their brothers' and she loved to wake up early to watch the animals waking up and the light mist surrounding the Barrow, her family's house. Her and Ron's room was very cute, according to her: it was perfectly divided in two, the right side was Ron's and the left side was Penny's. On her side there was a little bed with purple flowers painted on the wooden headboard, they weren't pretty, Penny had painted them herself and drawing wasn't her main skill; but she liked them anyway. Not far from it there was her little wardrobe and at its side her desk with a little mirror on it. The flower pattern was present on each of her furnishings. On Ron side there was his bed and his closet and on his bedside table there was always something to eat. Their walls were painted in orange, because of their favorite Quidditch team: the Chadley's Cannons. Ron was mad for them and over his bed there was a poster of the flying team.

"Just a moment" she said finishing to braid her hair. Ron scoffed looking back at the cards in his hands.

"You make me wake up early and then you are the one who's late. I'll never get you" he complain without looking at her.

"I'm not late" she answered smiling fixing her skirt "Mom hadn't called us yet"

Ron shook his shoulder before bending over to take a chocolate bar form his bedside table "You want some?" Penny nodded with the smile never leaving her face. She set down on Ron's bed that moved away his cards to make room for her, then he split the sweet in two and gave her a piece.

"Mom said we'll get an owl" she exclaimed enthusiastically.

"No" Ron corrected her "Percy'll get an owl"

"So what are we going to get?" she asked frowning.

"Scabbers" he stated looking over the cage put on his was Percy's old rat and he was really old, since she could remember things Scabbers has been there. He didn't do much, just eating and sleeping. She liked to play with animals, but he really didn't seem into it.

"Oh" Penny nodded "That's why he is here" Ron snorted looking at her.

"You are so distracted" she smiled at him, who looked down still laughing lightly.

When their mum called for them, they run down the stairs after being sure that their mouths weren't dirty with chocolate. In their small living room there were all Penny's siblings and their mother. Her father wasn't there he had to go back at work that day. In the moment she step in the room she heard Fred saying annoyed "Even a new robe, mum? Really?"

"Now we know who is your favorite son" George said nodding his head.

"Don't be stupid" she heard her mother answer "Percy'll be a prefect, he has to be at his best"

"Percy the perfect prefect" said the twins at the same time, then she turned to Ron and Penny.

"Oh good! We are all here" she said taking a little bag of Floo Powder.

Penny liked using Floo Powder, it was easy and fast and she always felt like she could go where she wanted. All it took was say the name of the place where you wanted to go and in few seconds you were there.

Diagon Alley was were all wizards did their shopping and were there was the most delicious ice-cream that Penny had ever tasted.

"All right" said Penny's mom "First the robes, then books and parchment" they all nodded following their mother to Madam Malking were Hogwarts students' bought their clothes. Percy was getting a new robe, Penny was getting a black skirt and a white shirt because she would be wearing George former robe. They couldn't spend too much money and there were a lot of them. Penny really wanted an ice-cream but she really didn't ask, school's stuff were more important.

They then went to Flourish and Blotts to buy their books. That shop was really wasn't something Penny did often, except for her favorite book 'Fantastic Beasts and where to find them', but she liked to see books on the shelves. There were lots of colors in there.

"I'll go take the books" said their siblings all nodded starting to look around them. Penny gasped in joy when she saw a copy of 'Fantastic Beasts and where to find them'. She took the book in her hands and starting to leaf through it.

"You've read it hundreds of times" said Ginny laughing lightly.

"Oh yeah" Penny answered laughing "Look how beautiful it is" the one she had at home was Charlie's, they used to read it together in the gardens during summer and before leaving for Romania her brother had given it to her. She usually read a chapter or two before going to sleep, so her copy was a bit ruined now.

"Sorry could you help me?" a soft voice made Penny and Ginny to look over their sibling. George spun so fast that made the two red haired girls to look at each other.

"Fay, hi!" he exclaimed happily.

"Hi, George. Fred" the girl was pretty short, with long wavy brown hair and blue eyes. She was wearing a light green dress and she was smiling sweetly at the two boys.

"What did you need help with?" asked George while Fred was looking at him with knowing eyes.

"Can you take that book for me, please?" she asked politely "I can't reach it"

"Sure!" he exclaimed turning to the book with a fast looked over to Ron who turned to her with a frown. George was acting strangely, while Fred seemed to be doing everything to not laugh.

"Here you go" George said giving the girl the book.

"Thank you" she answered with a smile looking down at the book. Penny saw Fred nudging his twin who scrolled his shoulders, earning another nudge from Fred.

"So!" exclaimed George startling everyone "How's been your summer so far, Fay? All fine?"

"Yes, thank you" she answered with her kind voice "How about yours?"

Penny looked at her brother talking with the girl and she couldn't help but frown. George never talked to anyone like that, he was giving this girl a lot of attention. Who was she?

"I'm accompanying my brother and sister with their shopping for school" George said "They'll be starting their first year" Penny frowned harder; he didn't even want to come.

"It's that them?" Fay asked.

"What?" asked George distractedly.

The girl smiled "Are they your sibling?"

"Yes, they are" said Fred eyeing his twin shaking his head.

"Hi, I'm Fay" she said waving to them.

"Hi, I'm Ron" said Ron nodding his head "These are Ginny and Penny" the girl smiled at them.

"These flowers are real?" asked Penny looking at the white flowers on the girl's hairband.

"Oh yes" she said smiling "I like flowers" Penny nodded studying the girl. Why was George so distracted by her? Who was this girl?

"Good luck for your first year" then she turned to Fred and George "I'll see you at school then. Thanks for the help, George"

"Anytime" he answered back. In the moment the girl went away Fred burst out laughing.

"Shut up, Fred!" George exclaimed.

"Why do you have that face?" asked Ron looking closely at his sister.

"What face?" she said closing the book she had in her hands and put it back at its place.

It was early afternoon when the Weasleys had finally finished with their shopping. Penny's feet hurt while she was walking hand in hand with George. She couldn't wait to go home and lay on the grass to play her harmonica.

"Fred, George!" at the sound of that voice Penny's heart bit fast and an even wider smile than usual appeared on her face, when in front of them appeared Oliver Wood.

Oliver Wood was the captain of the Gryffindor's Quidditch team. Penny had met him at home the first time, he had came at the Barrow when Charlie was still at Hogwarts. At that time Charlie was the captain of Gryffindor team and frequently he organized practice during summer and one of those times Penny had met Oliver. She couldn't help but blush and giggle when he was around. She was pretty sure she had fallen in love for him.

"Hey, Wood" Fred greeted him.

"Have you seen the new Nimbus 2000?" Oliver exclaimed happily. One thing that Penny had come to know was that Oliver Wood was absolutely mad for Quidditch. Penny liked to play Quidditch with her brothers and she was always happy when Oliver went to the Barrow and they started to talk about their favorite teams.

"Wow" said Ron looking at the beautiful broomstick in the shop.

"It's the fastest broom in the world" George said with his face pressed on the glass of the shop window.

"Oh, wow. Really?" Penny exclaimed with wide eyes. She wondered if it could fly as fast as a dragon.

"Absolutely" Oliver answered nodding his head "I wish I could have one. The Slytherins couldn't win like this"

"They won't anyway" Fred scoffed shocking is shoulder.

"Of course not with the practices at which I'm already working on" the twins looked at him with wide eyes.

"Already?" they asked together.

"Of course!" Oliver answered with confidence "We are going to win this!" Penny found herself nodding. She had seen him play, he was a very good keeper.

"I have to go" Oliver said "I'll see you at school" then he turned to Penny and Ron "Good luck for your first year, guys"

"Thanks" Penny said watching at Oliver walking away, trying to see him behind the crowd.

"I don't even want to know what he has in mind" Fred said shocking his head.

"Why do you have that face?" Ron's voice made her turn.

"What?" Penny asked still wearing the wide smile.

"That face" Ron asked suspiciously with a frown.

"I don't know what you are talking about" she said jumping to her mother, the hurt of her feet long forgotten.

 _ **Thanks for reading it! Stay tuned for next Chapter!**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Hi everyone! Here's a new chapter!**_

 _ **You're going to meet Cordelia's best friend, Sienna. I hope you'll like her and their relationship. Let me know!**_

 _ **I do not own Harry Potter, just my OCs.**_

 _ **ENJOY!**_

/

CORDELIA

Sienna Lynox was truly a girl that didn't go unnoticed and that was maybe the part of her that Cordelia liked the most. She didn't care what others said and thought about her, starting with her look; Sienna wore mostly black or very dark colors, her skin was pale and her hair and make-up was black too. Even at Hogwarts her lips were always dark. And her look were really different from her colorful personality.

"The concert was massive" Sienna said eating her ice-cream "You should come next time"

"They didn't let me" Cordelia said enjoying the taste of her ice-cream "Too many Muggles"

"What do they think? That they'll die if they get touched by them?" Sienna snorted "My mom has been harmless so far, my father is fine" Cordelia laughed thinking of a very scared Lucius running from Giselle. That woman was the sweetest person that Cordelia had ever met.

"It's still a miracle that they let me come to your house sometimes" Cordelia said bending over petting Charm on the head, the little dog waved his tail happily.

"No" Sienna said laughing again "The miracle is that they hadn't still understood that you lied to them"

Cordelia shock her head with a satisfied smile "I never lied, I just omitted some parts, not that they care that much" Sienna stared at her still eating her ice-cream.

The two girls had become friends on their first year at Hogwarts. They both had been sorted in Gryffindor and Cordelia already felt out of place and she wouldn't talk a lot with her classmates, being a Black gave her some problem at the beginning. But Sienna hadn't cared about her being reserved or her surname, she just came at Cordelia and start talking. Cordelia remembered the first time she had saw Sienna; with her look and her make-up the young Black couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy, but it was impossible not to notice Sienna's personality. Her look was part of her, she was daughter of artists after all, she had to be creative too. It didn't take long for them to become friends. And thanks to Sienna, Cordelia found the courage to open up to her classmates.

"You're coming for Christmas, right?" asked Sienna suddenly.

"Are you already thinking about Christmas?" Cordelia said with a laugh.

"I have to prepare my mother if it's a no" Sienna said simply "We got used of you by now" since her last Christmas at Hogwarts she had spent it with the Lenox. She didn't want to go back to the Malfoys so she accepted Sienna's invitation and for the first time she had a glimps of how a normal family was supposed to be. Full of laughter and love, something very different from what she had been living with the Malfoys.

"Have you received any owls this summer?" Cordelia asked with knowing curiosity earning a glare from her best friend.

"Yeah" Sienna said "Dumbledore's. He wrote me about the new books" Cordelia shook her head with a smile.

"He must be cheating on you, because he wrote to me too"

Sienna scoffed playfully "I should have known"

"You are not changing subject, you know?" Cordelia said with a curious smile.

"If you want Fred Weasley to write so bad, why don't you ask him to write to you?" Sienna said.

Cordelia looked at her with a knowing look "Are you seriously so bothered by his attentions?"

"Of course I am!" Sienna argued shaking her head moving her long black hair "He is annoying with all those stupid jokes. He can't shut up for a minute"

"So he's not so different from you" Cordelia said before burst into a loud laugh looking at Sienna's expression.

"Shouldn't you go look for your-what is he, again?" Sienna asked in the attempt to change the subject, and this time she did it because Cordelia looked at her watch. She had to go to Draco, he was buying his robes.

"Right!" the girl exclaimed getting up "Come on?"

"Do I have to come too?" Sienna complained.

"I would do it for you" Cordelia said putting her hands on her hips.

"But Steve is not annoying" Steve was Sienna's brother. He was one year younger than them and he went to Hogwarts too, but he had been sorted in Hufflepuff.

"I need you to look after Charm" Cordelia said and she saw her friend looking down at the little pet.

"You know I can't say no to him" she said finally standing up.

The two girls walked to Madam Malking, passing by people and shops. In August Diagon Alley was always full of families ran to by everything to get their children ready for Hogwarts. When Cordelia did her first shopping for school she had went for her wand just with Narcissa, the other days she had gone with Dobby, whose had been ordered to bring everything alone, he didn't even let Cordelia to take the parchment.

"Cordy" Sienna said stopping her by the arm "Isn't that miss Harvey?" Cordelia stopped and looked around.

"What?" she asked.

"Miss Harvey, over there" Sienna said pointing. Cordelia saw the woman; a staid of her dark hair was behind her ear, she was wearing her usual muggle clothes and she was looking at cauldrones, Cordelia wondered why Hogwarts' councelor needed one of those.

"Come on, let's go say hi" but before Sienna could move, Cordelia stopped her by the arm.

"She looks busy" the girl said but her friend looked at her confused.

"Everyone's busy in Diagon Alley" Sienna argued "But it's not kind not to say hi" Cordelia watch her friend walking to the woman and taking an unsure breath Cordelia walked in Sienna's direction.

"Hello, miss" she heard Sienna greet the woman that turned with a surprised smile.

"Hi, Sienna" she said before that her eyes fell on Cordelia and for a moment she saw something different in the woman's eyes.

"Hi" miss Harvey said.

"Hello, miss" Cordelia greeted with a small smile.

"You spent a good summer, miss?" Sienna asked with a bright smile.

Miss Harvey looked back at Sienna "Yeah… yeah. You?" the question was for the both of them, but the woman didn't look at Cordelia again.

"All good, miss" Sienna answered "For the both of us" she added noticing that Cordelia wasn't talking.

"Good" miss Harvey said "Sorry girls, I really need to go now, but I'll see you at Hogwarts. Yeah?" she said sweetly but in hurry "Have a good day, the both of you"

"You too, miss" Sienna said looking at the woman walking away "She sure was in hurry" miss Harvey was loved by most of the students, if not all of them. She was there for every students everytime they needed it, but miss Harvey was always in hurry, Cordelia had noticed it.

"I wonder why she was here" Sienna thought out loud.

"I don't know" Cordelia said turning her head to try to spot miss Harvey again, but she was already disappeared.

Then the two girls walked to Madam Malking again. They entered in the shop and the short woman greeted them with a smile.

"Do you need something, dears?" she asked.

"I'm here for Malfoy, he got an appointment" Cordelia said.

"Of course. Of course" the womansaid nodding her head "Come with me" Cordelia looked over to Sienna, who nodded to tell her she would wait outside with Charm. Cordelia followed the woman to a side of the shop, where a curtain was stopping them from entering the room.

"I'll go take the robe" the woman said "Wait here" Cordelia nodded with a kind smile.

"That's Hagrid" she turned hearing another voice "He works at Hogwarts" why was Hagrid there?

"Oh" Cordelia heard Draco's voice "I heard of him. He is something like a servant, isn't he?" at those words Cordelia got closer to listen better.

"He is the gatekeeper" the other boy said.

"Yes exactly" Draco exclaimed "I've heard he is a sort of savage. He lives in an hut and sometimes gets drunk or set something on fire" Cordelia shook her head. Hagrid was so sweet, he didn't deserved those awful words. Lucius' viciousness never ended, something so mean could have been said just by him. She was sure that Narcissa didn't even lose her time talking about someone she probably didn't care of.

"I think he is brilliant" the boy's answer made her turn to the curtain. Who was this boy? He surely was of the first year, to be in that room, but how did he know Hagrid? She was happy though that Hagrid was being defended.

"Do you?" Draco said with an almost surprised voice "Why is he with you? Where are your parents?"

"They're dead" Cordelia's heart drop for the boy. She didn't even know him, but she felt sorry for him like he was one of her friends. Maybe because she didn't have parents either.

"Oh, sorry" but Cordelia wasn't sure if Draco really mean it, it was impossible to understand it by the sound of his voice "But they were our kind weren't they?" Cordelia looked over Sienna, who was laughing playing with Charm just outside the shop. What was so terrible about Muggles? What was so wrong with them that wizards couldn't got close to them? She had never understood. And when she arrived at Hogwarts she had the chase of meeting a lot of them and they were normal as them wizards.

"They were a wizard and a witch, if that's what you mean" by the sound of the other boy's tone, she was sure that Draco hadn't made a new friend that day.

"I really don't think they should let other sort in" Draco kept saying "They are just not the same, they don't know our ways" And they were lucky, according to Cordelia, she hadn't seen many pureblood happy family. Not the oldest and richest, anyway, the ones that were more attached to the blood status. While Sienna's family was so different, better, even if they weren't purebloods "I think they should keep it in just the old wizard families" It was really sad hearing him talk like that, it was like listening to Lucius "What's your name anyway?"

But before the other boy could answer, Madam Malkin entered the room, telling Draco he could go.

"Well, I'll see you at Hogwarts, I suppose" Draco said and when Madam Malkin opened the curtain Cordelia had a glimps of the unknown boy. He was skinny, with messed black hair and round glasses.

"Oh" Draco said noticing Cordelia "You're here"

Cordelia stood silent shaking her head. The words he had used were Lucius', she just wished for Draco to use his own words.

"What?" he asked noticing her look.

"Let's look for your mother, so I can go" she said walking ahead of Draco. In that moment she just wanted to go away from her "family". She and Charm would have spent the rest of the holiday with Sienna and her family and she really couldn't wait. Maybe she could have had a real vacation away from the Malfoys.

 _ **Have a good week, everyone!**_

 _ **Please, comment this story to let me know your thoughts about it.**_

 _ **Wait next week for a new Cora's chapter!**_

 _ **Ciao, ciao!**_


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello everyone! I'm sorry I haven't been posting for so long, but now I'm here again.**

 **So here for you the 8th chapter!**

 **Enjoy!**

 **I do not own anything but my OCs.**

RACHEL

There was no shop in all Diagon Alley that Rachel liked as much as Flourish and Blotts, second only to Honeydukes in Hogsmade. She still remembered the first time she had went to Diagon Alley with her parents. It had been crazy, like entering in a dream; so many colors and people. Even her father still accompanied her there sometimes.

"Alright" she said looking at the list of books in her hand "Let's split up. Hagrid take Charms, History of Magic and Astronomy books" Hagrid nodded taking the list in his huge hand.

"I'm right on it, Rae" he said before walking away.

"You and me are going to take the rest" Rachel said smiling to Harry that nodded his head, but there was something in his eyes different from before.

"Hey" she said stopping in front of him "Is there something wrong?"

Harry seemed surprised by her question and she just smiled to encourage him to go on.

"I'm fine" he said scrolling his shoulder "It's just… I don't know anything about Hogwarts or this world. I'm just nervous" Rachel smiled.

"You don't need to be" she assured "You are not the only one to be that overwhelmed. But trust me, I think not knowing is even better, surprises will never stop arriving. It'll be like an adventure" Harry smiled brightly nodding his head. She couldn't help but feeling proud of herself to being able to make him feel better.

Harry was really the sweetest boy she had ever met. She almost couldn't believe how kind he was even if he had to grow up with the Dursleys. He had been kind even at the Leaky Cauldron when all those people understood who he was and started to shook his hand one by one. There they had even met professor Quirrell. He was the professor of Defense Against the Dark Art's at Hogwarts. The man was an adventurer even if he seemed to be scared of everything around him.

"When Hagrid says he wants a dragon" Harry said while Rachel was searching for his Herbology book "Does he mean a real dragon?"

"Oh yes" she answered laughing lightly "He really wants one" Harry blinked in pleasant confusion.

"Have you ever seen one?" he asked with wide eyes. Rachel that had found the book handed it to him.

"Yes" she said after thinking for a moment "But he was small, he was born just a few days back" Harry laughed incredulously.

"See" Rachel said "Everything is a surprise" Harry adjusted his glasses over his nose.

He was curious about everything that came to his view. Just a few hours back they had went to the Gringotts, the wizardry bank, to go take Harry's money. The Gringott was run by goblins; small and strange creatures, with pointy teeth and ears. Harry had looked at them with fascination.

"Now go take 'A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration' it should be over there" Rachel said pointing towards a book shelves while she went to take his Defense Against the Dark Arts book.

She was looking through the books when an happy voice made her turn quickly"Miss Harvey, hello!"

A smile formed on Rachel face when she saw Lee Jordan.

"Hello, Lee" she greeted him with a smile. Lee was a boy from Gryffindor, he was about to start his third year at Hogwarts. Rachel knew him well, because he was often in trouble with his partners in crime; the Weasleytwins, Fred and George. Lee was very talkative and funny, indeed that year he had become speaker for the Quidditch match.

"It's so good to see you here, miss" he said with his usual large smile "Did you miss your students?"

She laughed lightly "I always miss my students"

"What were you looking for, miss? I can help" he exclaimed kindly "You're surely carrying a lot of books"

"You are very kind" she said "But it's all done" she took the book she was looking for from the shelve. Lee looked curiously at it, frowning a little. Then he smiled again before saying his goodbye and walking away with his mother.

Rachel then went to find Harry. When she spotted him, he had just taken the book he was searching when a brunette girl bumped into him.

"Oh sorry" she heard Harry say.

"No it was my fault…Hi" she said before widening her eyes even Harry had the same expression.

"Hi" he said incredulously

"You are the boy down the street. Harry, right? Dudley's cousin" Harry nodded his head "I can't believe you are a wizard too" the girl was talking very calmly "Wait… is Dudley..?"

But Harry interrupted her shaking his head "No, no. Thank God no" the girl gave out a laugh.

"Well, more time for us away from him, I guess" Harry smiled too.

"Cora" a woman called and the girl looked over her shoulder before turning to Harry again.

"It was very nice to meet you. I guess I'll see you at school. Bye… Harry" she said waving her hand before running out of the shop, while Harry was waving back.

Rachel couldn't believe that there was another witch in Privet Drive.

She walked to the boywith a smile "So… who is she? A friend of yours?" Harry turned to her shaking his head with a small smile.

"No, she's just my neighbor. She.. " he stopped suddenly making her frown a little"She plays football near my uncles' house. She is cool" then he took the books from her hands "I'll find Hagrid and go pay"

"Sure" Rachel said looking at him with all the books in his hand "Do you need help with the coins?"

"No please" he said with shiny eyes "I want to try wizardry money on my own"

Rachel nodded with a laugh "Suit yourself" he smiled happily.

"Then ice-cream" he said.

"First wand, then parchment and then ice-cream" she said.

Harry laughed "I tried"

In that moment he really seemed James "Go" she said with a smile, watching him walking through the crowd.

The three of them where walking on the street of Diagon Alley, their hands full of bags with Harry's school stuffs. They were walking to Olivander, the wands maker. Everyone bought their wand from Olivander. Buying a wand was very important for a wizard and when you found the one it was very special. It was a strange feeling, it was impossible to explain, but she still remembered how she felt when she hold hers for the first time. It had been natural, right. And Olivander made the best wands. He was able to understand the person in front of him just with a look and he remembered everyone that had entered in his shop. Rachel stopped before entering in there. He remembered… _everyone._

"Yer alright, Rae?"Hagrid asked kindly turning to her. Even Harry had turned and looked at her with big green confused eyes.

"Yeah" she said "But what do you think if I go to take the parchment while you're… _in there?_ " Hagrid looked at her confused.

"Rae are yer sure?" he asked with a frown "I mean I was sure yer wanted…"

"It's alright, Rachel" Harry said with a smile "We'll got more time for the ice-cream" she returned the gesture.

"Good luck for your wand" Rachel said before looking at the boy entering the shop.

"Yer'r really sure?" Hagrid asked and when Rachel nodded he followed the boy.

Rachel stood there for a moment, unsure on what to do. Maybe she had to enter, but…

She shook her head and turned to walk to the parchment shop, but in the moment she made a step, she bumped into someone. She was about to apologize when she looked at the person in front of her. It was a woman. She was tall and blond, with a pointy face and an elegant dress. At her side there was a man with a black robe, white blond hair and grey eyes. Her heart stop for a moment. Lucius and NarcissaMalfoy were in front of her. It had been years since she had seen them last.

"Watch where you are going, Harvey" Lucius Malfoyspatted at her with a disgusted voice. Her blood run cold and without even giving them a glance she walked away. Just in that moment she had noticed the boy next to them. He was so similar too his father, it almost scared her. She really hoped for him to be like Lucius just in the look.

Rachel walked in the street full of people, trying to put as much distance as she could from the Malfoys. In a few moments she step in the parchments smell of parchment surrounded her and calmed her immediately. She wasn't the one who should feel ashamed.

"Rachel, dear" a voice made her open her eyes to see an old lady with grey hair and a red bag.

"Miss Longbottom, hi" she greeted trying to forget about her discomfort from before.

"Dear, it's so nice to see you" she said kissing Rachel's cheeks.

"Likewise, miss. Doing shopping with your nephew?" she asked.

"Yes, he is.. where is that boy?" the woman started to look around the shop "Neville! Come here!" a plump boy with brown hair and a funny face run to them.

"I found the parchment" he said before noticing Rachel "Hey, Rachel. Hi!" he exclaimed hugging Rachel quickly with a slight blush on his cheeks.

"Hi, Neville. How are you?" Rachel asked.

"Fine, I think" he answered a bit nervous.

"I'm very happy you are coming to Hogwarts this year" She knew that Neville had had a bit of struggle before showing his magical powers. For a moment his grandmother thought he was a squib "Don't worry about anything" she kept saying putting an hand on Neville's shoulder "Hogwarts is amazing. You will feel like home and if there are going to be any problems, just come to me"

"Thank you, Rachel" he said with a shy smile. Neville was really sweet.

"Go pay, boy" Miss Longbottom said slightly pushing her nephew. Neville nodded walking away waving at Rachel like always.

Miss Longbottom looked at Rachel for a moment with appreatietion"You're pale, dear. Are you alright?"

Rachel tried to smile truthfully, she didn't want to get Miss Longbottom worried.

"Yes, miss. Thank you" she said then after a moment she took a breath "Miss, I wanted to apologize for not passing by this month" the woman looked at her with a sad but grateful smile "How're Frank and Alice?" Rachel asked carefully.

The woman took a breath "Like always, I'm afraid. Thanks for asking" Rachel nodded her head biting her lips. When Neville got back, Miss Longbottom invited her for a tea before going away.

When Rachel got back to the Leacky Cauldron with Harry and Hagrid they walked in silence. Something very strange for them. When they set down in Harry's room at the inn Harry finally said what was worrying him. Apparently Olivander had said something to Harry about expecting greatness from him. He felt underpressured and Rachel felt bad for him. She really didn't want for him to feel that stressed. After their chat and after saying goodbye to Hagrid, who was coming back to Hogwarts, Harry went to sleep.

Before Hagridwent away, they went in Rachel's room.

"How long are you staying, Rae?" Hagrid asked while she was doing a spell to silence her room.

"Just tomorrow" she answered getting her jacket off "I'll bring him back to his uncles in the morning"

"I hopedye'd stayed all the summer. You've waited ten years for this moment" Hagrid said scoffing. Rachel felt the same way, but she really didn't want to talk about it.

"Why did Dumbledore wanted for you to take it?" she asked "The Philosopher's Stone?"

Hagrid scrolled his shoulders "I don't know. But if Dumbledore says so, I'll do it" Rachel really admired Hagrid's loyalty to the old headmaster. Loyalty was everything to her.

"A'rght" Hagrid said "It's time for me to go. Here's Harry's ticket" Rachel took it from her friend.

"Leave it to me" she said.

"I'll see yer tomorrow, then" Hagrid said before disappearing.

In the morning Rachel woke Harry early, she really didn't want to, but walking in a muggle neighborhood with a trunk and an owl wasn't very wise. Rachel really didn't want to bring Harry back to the Dursleys, but she really had no choice.

Little Whingingreminded Rachel the neighborhood she grew up in; where her parents still lived. Rachel lived in London now, she had moved in her flat when she finished school.

"Have you chosen her name?" Rachel asked watching the white owl in the cage that Harry was bringing. The boy looked down at his new pet with a nod.

"Hedwig" he said with a small smile "I've read this name yesterday night in History of Magic book" Rachel looked at the owl. It was a nice name, it fitted her.

"Did you have a pet?" he asked "At Hogwarts"

Rachel smiled at the memory "I really wanted a cat, but my sister was allergic"

"Have you ever got one?" Harry said curiously.

"No" she answered shaking her head "But I got an owl, Billy"

"Billy?" Harry repeated with a light laugh.

"What's wrong with Billy?" Rachel asked laughing lightly alongside Harry.

"Nothing" Harry said cheerfully "Just I wouldn't have think of a name like this for an owl"

"I wasn't very creative with names" Rachel admitted "My..." she stopped suddenly making Harry turned tuned to her with a light frown "One of my friends used to say that"

They walked in silence after that, but Harry didn't seem to mind. It was pretty early so fortunately no one was in the street.

"Where do you play usually?" she asked when they walked by a little park where surely children crowded during the afternoon.

"Err…" Harry said before turning to her with a scroll of his shoulders "I like stay in my… room. I play there" Rachel nodded her head studying Harry for a moment. It was strange she barely knew that boy, but she felt like she understood him, and him her; and she felt like he wasn't really being honest in that moment, but she didn't push, she had no right after all.

"When I'll be at Hogwarts" he said after a moment "Will I call you professor?"

Rachel found herself smiling again "No"

"How should I call you then?" he asked curiously.

"Well" she said thinking "Students usually call me Miss. Harvey, but even Rachel"

He nodded "Can I call you Rachel, then?" he asked shyly.

Rachel turned to him stopping her walking. Harry stopped too. She hadn't smiled that much in years. She looked down to that boy that had stolen James' face and Lily's eyes and she couldn't believe she was standing talking finally with him.

"I would like that" she said.

Harry smiled widely nodding his head taking her hand walked like that talking all the time, until they arrived in front of the n° 4.

"Here's your ticket" she said handing Harry his Hogwarts Express ticket "Remember, 1st September, King's Cross. The train leaves at 11 o'clock" the boy took the ticket in his hand, nodding his head.

Rachel then rang the bell and they waited for a moment.

"Maybe they're sleeping" Harry said turning to Rachel. She already didn't want to leave him there, the Durselys not opening wasn't helping her. After a moment she rang the bell again and this time she heard steps inside the house and then Petunia opened the door. She looked at them like she had seen robbers that were trying to break into the house.

"Hi" Harry said interrupting the silence.

"I've brought you Harry back" Rachel said putting one hand on Harry's shoulder. Petunia just looked at her with an hateful expression, but Rachel just decided to ignore her and she turned to Harry "Do you need help with your things?" she asked softly.

But before he had the chance to answer Petunia spoke "Vernon will bring it upstairs, later"

"Upstairs?" asked Harry frowning.

"Yes" Petunia said sternly "Get in" Rachel looked between the boy and his aunt, she didn't like how she was speaking to him. Rachel's thoughts drifted away when she felt Harry hugging her quickly.

"I'll see you at Hogwarts" Harry said with a light smile.

Rachel just nodded her head, watching him walking inside, but before he could go upstairs she said "Harry, if you'll got any problems, don't worry I'll know" her eyes moved to Petunia, she had saw how they didn't want for him to go to Hogwarts, she didn't want for them to forbid him to go. Her plan seemed to have worked because Petunia was looking at her with a dreadful face.

"Thanks, Rachel" Harry said smiling again before running up the stairs.

Rachel looked Petunia again and with a smile she asked "How's Dudley?" as an answer Petunia shut the door. Rachel bit her lips, maybe that was uncalled for, but she couldn't stop herself. She turned her back at the door and she started to walk away, when she heard a knock and turning she saw Harry waving his hand at the window. She waved back before walking away.

 **Thank you so much for reading it!**

 **Don't forget to let me know what you think about my story so far. I hope you'll have e good week!**

 **Ciao, ciao!**


	9. Chapter 9

_**Hi! New week, new chapter!**_

 _ **I hope you'll like it.**_

 _ **I do not own anything, just my OCs.**_

 _ **Enjoy.**_

 **CORA**

It was the end of August by now and Cora was already preparing all her school a few days she would have left for Hogwarts. Strange things she had to bring, in her opinion: quills instead of pens, parchments, old books… The only thing that made sense to her was the robe. She opened her trolley bag starting to put inside it all her stuff.

"Mum!" she called from her room "How am I supposed to fit a cauldron in here?"

"I told you to buy a trunk like the list said" her mother said back making Cora rolled her eyes. Her mother loved say 'I told you so', it was her favorite sentence. Sometimes the girl thought that maybe her aunt was related to her mother, instead of father.

"I think it's pointless buy a new trunk, that its old by the way, when I got a comfortable and _modern_ trolley bag" Cora argued back, trying to make the cauldron fit. Vivianne appeared on the door looking at her daughter.

"Yeah. I can see all the modernity you are heading to by looking at your quills" she said sarcastically. Cora glared at her mother before pushing the cauldron inside.

"See, it's perfect" she said "Now I just have to put my clothes" Vivianne walked behind her daughter looking at the trolley bag full of the most uncommon things.

"Where?" she asked frowning.

Cora looked at her mother with her hands on her waist.

"I'll just stuff something here and there, something in the cauldron, my socks inside the books, my trainers away from the ink and everything it's going to be fine" Cora answered coolly scrolling her shoulders.

"And your robes?" at her mother question Cora went over her wardrobe opening it revealing her camping backpack nodding proudly.

"I'll stuff it here, with everything that doesn't fit in the trolley bag" Vivianne looked at her for a moment with crossed arms.

"We've got still time, Cora" she said "Maybe we can go back to Dieagon… Diragon…"

"Diagon" helped Cora.

"Diagon Alley and by the trunk. It's larger" Vivianne said.

"But so much more uncomfortable" Cora insisted walking back to her bed were her trolley bag laied open "See! This even got wheels" Vivianne laughed at her daughter.

"Alright. I get it; commodity first"

Cora nodded "Always first" then she saw her mother looking in her trolley bag.

"Is that the Arsenal poster?" Vivianne asked.

"I can't move without it" she said scrolling her shoulders again. Then her eyes fell on her clock; it was almost 3:15 PM, she had to meet Tyler in ten minutes.

"I have to go mum" she said kissing her mother cheek.

"To Tyler?" she asked following her daughter, who was putting her trainers on.

Cora nodded. These would have been the last days of summer she would have been spending with Tyler. She still didn't know how she would keep away from him her 'Hogwarts' secret', her and Tyler told everything to each other… well, maybe not exactly everything, but he was her best friend and it was still difficult to think of starting the school without him around.

"Slow down, Cora" she heard her mother say behind her.

"I'm not even going to run" Cora said "See you at dinner" she waved off her mother and then her father's photo like usual before walking on the same path to Tyler's house.

Privet Drive during summer was crowded with children running around, she liked that. There were a lot of people to play with. And that summer was even better, she heard that Dudley Dursley had went to the hospital for a minor surgery, so he couldn't walk out from house that much.

Dudley was a bully, he and his friends usually tormented everyone around them just for fun. Cora wasn't scared of them. She usually intervened when she saw them bothering someone; it had happened with Tyler and had even happened with Harry, Dudley's cousin.

Harry was a quite boy, he usually spend time on his own and one time she had seen Dudley pushing him to the ground; so she marched to him and his friends and defended Harry. That was the only time they had talked. Harry was in Tyler's class and even him has said that Dudley's cousin usually stayed inside his house. She couldn't believe he was a wizard too, maybe he had already started to show his capabilities, maybe he was scared by them.

Well, he didn't have to worry. She knew what was like to make a mess because of magic.

She stopped at the number 4 of Privet Drive. The Dursleys had been back from their vacation and probably Harry was inside. She was sure Tyler wouldn't mind if she invited him over, Tyler had always said that Harry was nice at school.

She run to the Dursleys' door and rang the bell. She didn't have to wait long before Petunia Dursley opened the door. She was a tall woman, skinny as a paper and with dark eyes that studied always everyone that came close to her house.

"Hello" Cora greeted coolly.

"You're Mrs. McGonagall's daughter, aren't you?" she asked studying the girl up and down "You are in Dudley's class" she said with a small smile "He is inside"

"Good" Cora answered with a little smile "Is Harry home?" she noticed Mrs. Dursley go rigid for a moment, her smile fell from her face.

"He- is not here" she said almost panicking, making Cora frown.

"He is not"

"No" Petunia kept said forcing a smile again, but she almost seemed terrorized "He went to- school. Filling the last applications" that made Cora frown even more. What application? Hogwarts didn't have applications.

"Alright" Cora said unsure "Then I guess I'll go now"

"Yes, sure" the woman closed the door not even saying bye. Cora's mother was right when she said that those people where strange.

Of course Mrs. Dursley didn't know that Cora was a witch too, but even if Harry had gone buy his last things why the car was parked in the drive yard? How did he went to Diagon Alley?

She tried to look through the living room kitchen, but the lace curtain made almost impossible to see inside. Mrs. Dursley loved to look in others houses but she didn't want for others to do the same apparently.

Since she couldn't see anything, Cora took some steps back and she started to study the house in front of her. It was so strange. Then something caught her eye, in one of the window upstairs she saw owl wings in what seemed a cage. She looked at the door once again and quickly she ran in the garden, she took some crumple from the flower bed and then she thrown one of the little rocks at the glass. She waited a moment and since no one opened the window, so she throw another and then another. She didn't wait long before a boy with messy black hair and round glasses appear at the window. Harry looked at her with his green eyes widened. So he was inside.

"Cora?" Harry said surprised.

"Hey, there" she said coolly with her hands on her hips "Are you alright?"

"I'm alright" he answered nodding his head "What are you doing here?"

She scrolled her shoulders "Just passing by. I'm seeing Tyler, I wanted to know if you want to come with us" Harry smiled at that. He was about to answer but she heard Mrs. Dursley's voice calling for him.

"Thanks" he said kindly "But I can't, I- have to help my aunt" Cora nodded her head studying his face. Why they didn't let him out? He may had created some trouble because of the magic, but she bet it was nothing that bad. She had always created troubles.

"It's alright. Another time, then" she said smiling "See you, Harry"

Petunia called for Harry another time, he turned for a moment before looking back at the girl "Bye, Cora" he said kindly before getting back inside.

Cora and Tyler met just a few minutes later. They walked to their favorite park to sit on the swings like they often did.

"School it's starting in a few days" Tyler said at some point making Cora stop her swinging "You said you're going abroad?"

"Well- not exactly" she said looking at her feet before turning to Tyler "It's- more like a boarding school"

Tyler nodded with a frown "So you're staying there all the year?"

"Probably" she said "But probably I'll be back for Christmas" her aunt had always told her that students could go back home during Christmas break, or they could chose to stay at Hogwarts. Cora didn't know what she would have done; she still didn't know if her mother will be working. But she didn't want for Tyler to feel bad. When she had told him that she wouldn't have gone at his same school he became sad and so did she. Cora was used to spend the afternoon with Tyler.

"You'll call me? Or will I be able to call you?" Cora bit her lips at that. No he couldn't call her, but how could she tell him? She really hated that she had to lie to her best friend, it wasn't right. It had been already difficult to hid her tricks from him. Friendship was honesty and she couldn't do that to Tyler.

"Come with me" she said standing up. Tyler looked at her with surprised eyes without moving, so she took him by his wrist and she lead the both of them to their hidden place.

Their hidden place wasn't a real hidden place. It was a camping tent that Vivianne had set in their garden, where Cora and Tyler stayed when they wanted to play or talk alone.

"Alright" she said zipping up the entrance of the tent "I lied to you, Tyler"

"Lied? Why?" Tyler asked with a frown. Cora nodded.

"What I'm going to tell you it's very secret" she said "You can't tell anyone"

Tyler looked at her confused before nodding his head.

"Promise" Cora said extending an hand. He took a breath before doing their secret hand shake. When they did that it meant total honesty and secrecy. He couldn't roll his eyes, he invented it.

When she was sure, Cora started to telling him everything. She told him that she was a witch and that there was a community of magical people and magical creatures. She told him that her father was a wizard and even her aunt was one and that she had to leave to go study magic at Hogwarts.

When she had done with her story, Tyler was looking at her like she was crazy.

"You are joking" he said.

Cora was about to answer when he stopped her "No, wait! Don't tell me. Because it would be so cool if it was true" he exclaimed.

"Then it's the coolest thing ever, because it's true" she answered looking her friend that was getting excited by the minute.

"So you are a witch?!"

Cora took a breath "Come with me"

They quickly ran in the houseand went upstairs. When Cora opened the door of her house Tyler gave out a loud laugh. He moved to her bed where her trolley bag was still opened. He looked at the cauldron and the books.

"History of Magic" she said when he took a book in his hands. He laughed again taking another one

"That should be Potions book" Cora said again.

"Potions…" he muttered with a huge grin on his face.

Cora then moved to her wardrobe and opening it she shown him her robe and then she opened the drawer of her bed table to show him her wand.

"What's this?" he asked.

"My wand" she answered handing it to him but he was unsure "Don't worry. You are a Muggle, nothing is going to happen"

Tyler frowned "Muggle?"

"Normal human being" she explained "Like you and my mum" Tyler laughed once again.

"It's real wood?" he said looking closely at it.

Cora nodded "Cypress and dragon's heart strings" Tyler eyes widened once again.

"Dragon? An actual dragon?" Cora nodded one more time.

Then Tyler started to ask about everything that came up in his mind and he was amazed by everything. But his favorite thing was how wizards sent their mails.

"That's why you have an owl" he exclaimed understanding Marshmallow's presence.

"And you'll be using him too" Cora said making Tyler frown "We won't be able to call each other, but we could send letters and Marsh will bring them to us"

"Cool" he said sitting almost exhausted on Cora's bed "I can't believe my best friend is a witch! I know a witch!"

"And a wizard too" she said sitting next to him.

"What?" Tyler asked full of energy again "Who?"

"Harry Dursley" Cora answered, but Tyler only frown.

"Who?" he said.

"Harry. Harry Dursley" she insisted "Round glasses, black hair. Dudley's cousin. He's in your class"

"You mean Potter. Harry Potter" Tyler said giving out a laugh.

"Wait, what did you say?" asked Cora. Now it was her turn to widen her eyes "Did you say Potter?" She couldn't believe it. Harry wasn't just a wizard, he was Harry as in Harry Potter. The boy who had defeated You-Know-Who. Her aunt had talked about him. She had lived next door to Harry Potter all those years and she had no idea.

"Harry Potter…" she muttered.

"He is a wizard too?!" Tyler exclaimed enthusiastically"This is crazy!"

"I know" she said looking ahead of her.

 _I wonder if aunt Minnie knows about it,_ Cora thought.

Harry Potter was her neighborhood. That was something that really took her by surprise.

 _ **I hope you've liked this chapter.**_

 _ **Have a nice weekend.**_

 _ **Ciao, ciao.**_


	10. Chapter 10

**New Chapter!**

 **I do not own anything, but my OCs.**

 **Enjoy!**

PENNY

It had arrived, the first day of school had finally come and Penny couldn't help smile and talk, talk and jump. That could be easily the best day of Penny's life, that was for sure. She was just a bit sad that her father had to work that morning so he couldn't accompany them to the train.

The station was beautiful and she couldn't help but observing all the Muggles that ran to their train. She wondered what a typical Muggles' morning could be and how their jobs were and where they lived and what were their favorite animals. She wondered if they knew about Bowtruckles and how they called them.

"Penny stay close, you wouldn't want to worry Mother" at Percy's words she pushed her trolley further and walked closer to her brothers.

"Why Mother?" She asked to Percy who was walking like the Minister was watching them.

"How should I call her?" Percy stated.

"Mom" she said with a smile looking fondly at her mother "Like always"

"Don't mind him, Pen" George said "He is not the same Percy anymore"

"He is a Prefect now" said Fred with a loud laugh and Penny looked at Percy blinking her eyes. Percy had always been the most formal among them, and he wasn't even the oldest, but maybe it hadn't been a good idea to make him Prefect; Percy needed to smile more.

"Stay together, guys" Penny heard her mother speak highly to overcome the noise made by the Muggles and the trains "It's always the same, every year, packed with Muggles, come on" they walked a bit more before their mother asked what was the platform number.

"Nine and three-quarters" Ginny said tugging at their mother's hand "Mom, can't I go.."

"You're not old enough, Ginny, now be quiet" Penny's smile faded observing her little sister expression. She was so happy to go that she hadn't thought about Ginny. Penny stopped her trolley next to her sister and she took her hand while Percy was marching towards the barrier and in a blink of an eye he had disappeared. Penny's eyes widened amazed, it was so cool.

"Fred, you are next" their mother said turning to the twins.

"I'm not Fred, I'm George" said one of the twins and Penny had to look two times to be sure who was talking "Honestly, woman, you call yourself our mother? Can't you tell I'm George?" Penny's gaze fixed on Ron who was shaking his head looking down.

"Sorry, George, dear"

"Only joking, I am Fred" Fred said before running to the barrier followed by George.

"Do you want to go first?" Ron asked looking at Penny, who couldn't understand why her brother seemed so down. Maybe he was nervous for their first day.

"No, no, you go" she said with cheerful voice.

Ron was ready to walk towards the barrier, but suddenly a boy her age took their attention. He walked closer shyly and politely, he had black messy hair and green eyes hidden behind a pair of round glasses. Penny looked around but he seemed to be alone.

"Hello dear" her mother said with a sweet smile "First time at Hogwarts? Ron and Penny are new, too" the boy turned to them with a shy smile and they returned the gesture.

"Yes" said the boy "The thing is… I… I don't know how to -"

"How to get to the platform?" her mother asked kindly and the boy nodded.

"Not to worry" she said before explain to him how he could reach the platform for the Hogwarts express. He must have been a muggleborn, that was fascinating, but she wondered why he was alone.

"Er - ok" he said unsure, but he followed the woman's instruction anyway.

"What a dear boy" her mother said and Penny found herself nodding her head in agreement.

When Penny reached the platform she stayed put for a moment looking at what was before her. She had accompany her brothers the previous years, but now it was different, because she was going to be one of the students and everything seemed different, better, brighter. She couldn't wait to jump on the Express of Hogwarts.

Suddenly someone bumped her trunk with something she had never seen; it seemed like a trunk but it was very different from hers: it was light blue with wheels on it and the girl who was pulling it was taller than her but she seemed around the same age and on her shoulders there was a big backpack hanging, in an hand she had a cage with a little owl in it and in the other she was pulling the strange trunk.

"Oh, sorry" the girl said calmly before turning to a woman who was standing next to Penny with wide eyes looking at the train.

"Mom, come on" the girl said.

"Seriously?" the woman said "Not even a 'wow' or a moment to look at it" the woman said pointing at the Express for Hogwarts.

"It's a train" the girl said scrolling her shoulders before walking towards the train.

"You'll never change" the woman said with a laugh following her daughter. That girl was surely a Muggleborn and Penny really wanted to ask her what was the name of that curious trunk.

"Ron, you've got something on your nose" she heard her mother said while rubbing Ron's nose with an handkerchief, while he tried to break free from her hold.

"Aaah, has the little Ronnie got something on his nose?" said Fred with a mocking tone, while George was helping Penny to put her trunk on the train.

"Shut up" said Ron.

"Where's Percy?" as their mother asked Percy arrived already changed in his new black robes and his silver badge with the letter P on it showed on his chest.

"Can't stay long, Mother" he said "I'm up the front, the prefects have got two compartment to themselves -"

"Oh are you a prefect, Percy?" said Fred with fake surprise making Penny start jiggle "You should have said something, we had no idea"

"Hang on, I remember him saying something about it" said George "Once -"

"Or twice -"

"A minute -"

"All summer -"

"Shut up" said Percy before kissing their mother and walk away. Then the woman turned to the twins.

"Now, you two" her mother wanted for the twins to behave, they always were up to something either at home or at school. They had received countless of owls from Hogwarts in the past few year to worn the Weasleys how their twin sons had deserved detention for something they had done.

"And look after Ron and Penny"

"Oh mom!" Fred exclaimed with cheerful voice "Guess what? Guess who we just met on the train?" Penny really wanted to know who they met "The black haired boy next to us at the station from before is Harry Potter!" Penny gasped putting her hands on her mouth while Ginny jumped up and down.

"Oh mom can I go and see him?!"

"You already did" their mother said stopping the youngest of her children "And he is not a animal in the zoo. Is he really, Fred? How do you know?" the woman asked unsure if that was another of the twins' jokes. Penny really hoped they weren't making fun of her, she really wanted to meet Harry Potter.

"I asked him" he said "And I saw his scar. Do you think he remember what You-Know-Who looks like?" Their mother suddenly become stern.

"I forbid you to ask him, Fred. Don't you dare" Penny was fearing for Fred now, their mother could be dangerous when she had that look.

"Alright, alright. Calm down" he said before a whistle sounded. Penny and her brothers hugged their mother and their little sister before getting on the train.

"Oh no, Ginny don't cry" Penny said tightening her hold on her sister's hand, when she saw Ginny crying.

"Yeah, we'll send you loads of owls" said Fred.

"We'll send you a Hogwarts toilet seat"

"George!"

"Only joking, Mom" all of them gave out a laugh and as soon as Penny left Ginny's hand the train started to move. Penny waved one last time before jumping in excitement. She was on the train, finally on her way to Hogwarts.

"I'm going to look for a sit" Ron said walking in the corridor.

"Fred, George!" they turned to see one of the twins' friends running to them. Penny knew him, his name was Lee Jordan and she liked him, because he was always happy.

"I have to show you something" he said excited before turning to Penny "Hey, little lady" Penny smiled.

"Yeah whatever you want" said Fred "But we need to search for a sit" a smirk appeared on his lips.

"I happen to know the perfect sit" said Lee Jordan, but before she could heard the end of the conversation she decided to follow Ron. Her twin brother had took a sit with Harry Potter, but they weren't talking much… they weren't talking at all, but before she could enter George stopped her.

"Hey Pen, do you want to see a tarantula?"

A huge smile appeared on the girl's face "A tarantula?"

"Yeah, Lee's got one" George said with a smile taking her hand, while Fred was saying the same thing to Ron and Harry.

"Penny's tugging along" said George over his twin shoulder.

"Right" mumbled Ron.

"I'll be right back" Penny assured.

"Yeah, I know" Ron said nodding his head.

"Harry" Fred said "We didn't introduced ourselves, I'm Fred, that's George, she is our little sister Penny" Penny waved her hand to Harry with a big smile"And this is Ron, our brother. See you later, then" Fred said closing the door and they started to walk through the corridor.

"Do you think he found the sits?" George asked still holding Penny's hand.

"Lee never failed us" Fred said with a smirk. Penny didn't understand very well what they were talking about but it wasn't unusual, they talked like that most of the time.

"Have you seen the pretty Hufflepuff?" Fred asked.

"Yeah" said George "I've seen Fay at the platform" Fay was the girl they had met that day at Diagon Alley. Penny observed her older brother and his strange face at the mention of the girl and she found herself frown a bit.

"Here we are" Fred said his smirk even wider. Her brother opened the door of a compartment where there was a pretty girl with dark hair and grey eyes focused on a notebook with a pencil in her hand, a girl dressed all in black with ivory skin who was arguing with Lee Jordan.

"This train is full of compartments, why here?" the girl dressed in black said.

"Why not?" asked Lee.

"Well, hello there" said Fred leaning his shoulder on the frame of the door, the girls looked at him "You've found real good sits, Lee" the girl with ivory skin groaned sitting back.

"Charm attack him" she said to the little dog half sleeping on the other girl's lap.

"It's a dog!" Penny said leaving George's side to run towards the little dog who moved his tail happily. She didn't know dogs were allowed at Hogwarts. The girl who the dog belonged to looked at her with a surprised smile.

"Hey girls" said George sitting next to the window "Spent a good summer?"

"Yeah, I wonder" Fred said with a mocking tone sitting next to his twin "I believe I've sent you a letter about that, Sien"

"Who's Sien?" the girl in black said with a sarcastic smile and crossed arms.

"The summer has been good" the other girl said kindly.

"Even in the hell?" said George.

The girl nodded her head "Even in the hell" then she turned to Penny "And who is she?"

Penny who has been petting the little dog till that moment looked up "Oh, sorry! I'm Penny"

"Hi" the girl said "I'm Cordelia, this is Charm and this is Sienna" Penny turned to the girl who smiled at her.

"You have beautiful hair" Penny said looking at Sienna's long, tick black hair.

"Thanks" Sienna said "I love your sweater" Penny looked her cloths.

"My mom made it" she said before George put her on his lap.

"Alright" George said "I believe Lee has something to show you" Lee gasped and took a cage with a black tarantula in it.

"Oh wow" Penny muttered looking closer to the animal in the cage.

"Oh, God" Sienna said with a disgusted expression "Is it even allowed?"

"You're being racist, Sien" Fred said with a smirk "Charm is allowed and the tarantula is not? Why? Because it could be nasty?"

"And you know everything about it, don't you, Weasley?" she bit back never stop smilingsarcastically. Penny couldn't understand if the two of them were friends or not, but Fred seemed to be having lots of fun.

"Bicker all you want" said Cordelia "But don't bring Charm in to this" the little dog waved his tail looking fondly atCordelia that was sketching something on her notebook. Penny got curious looking at Cordelia so she hopped off George's lap and looked what the girl was drawing.

"Oh wow" Penny said looking at a perfect picture of Charm, it was so beautiful, it seemed real but it was just made with pencils.

"Do you like it?" Cordelia asked sweetly making Penny nodding her head in response.

"You're very good" Penny said then she looked Cordelia with amazed eyes "Can you draw a Niffler?"

"A—Niffler?" Cordelia asked in surprise but with a smile "I've never seen a Niffler"

"Don't worry!" Penny exclaimed happily "I know how it is" Cordelia laughed elegantly and she move over to make space next to her.

"Then sit here and help me" she said, Penny giggled and set down.

"Are you sure you're related?" Sienna asked looking at Penny talking to Cordelia.

"Of course" Fred said "Don't you see who she took her beauty from?" Sienna's gaze move from Fred then to Penny and back to Fred "Not the slightest" George started to laugh loudly.

"She told you, brother" he said followed by Lee.

"She told you, too. We have the same face" Fred argued looking at his twin who kept laughing.

"Anyway" Fred ignored them "Do you know who is on the train?" the two girls frowned in confusion.

"Harry Potter" said George excitedly.

"What? Really?" Lee exclaimed while the two girls looked at each other with wide eyes.

Penny really liked Fred and George's friends, they were very nice; Cordelia was very sweet and Sienna was funny, she even find out that Sienna loved music and Cordelia had promised her that she would have taught Penny how to draw; not that Penny would ever be that good, drawing wasn't really one of her main skills.

She had spent hours with them and she really wanted to go to Ron. She waited for Cordelia to finish the drawing, that was beautiful, and then she walked out the compartment with the piece of paper in her hands, she really wanted to show it to Ron.

Penny was walking, while she saw Oliver Wood walking towards her. She couldn't help but smile even wider and blush. When he noticed her he smiled at her.

"Hi, Penny"

"Hi" she muttered waving her hand, before walking away without stop smiling.

She really hoped she would be sorted in Gryffindor and not just because all her family had been sorted there, but even because Oliver Wood was in it.

She was walking to where she had seen Ron last and she was looking to all the students in the corridor, near Ron's compartment there was a girl with brown hair and large front teeth, with a boy who seemed really sad,another boy shorter than the others and the girl with the strange trunk. Penny was almost at the door when it opened loudly and three boys ran out.

"Get out of my way" said a pale boy pushing her to the side, making Cordelia's drawing fall.

"Hey" the girl with the strange trunk said walking to the pale boy "Say sorry"

"What have you said?" he asked with an almost disgusted tone.

"You pushed her" the girl said while the other with frizzy hair was picking up Penny's drawing.

The boy looked at Penny and observing her a strange expression appeared on his face, like he was superior somehow.

"Weasley was on my way" Penny frowned, he knew who she was, so he must have been part of a wizardly family and not a very nice one.

"So you're blind as well as rude" the girl said coolly.

"Cora, leave it" the short boy said looking between the girl and the pale boy. Cora stared at the pale boy until he had left, than she let out a growl before turning to them.

"Are you ok?" asked the girl with frizzy hair.

Penny turned to her with a smile "Oh yes, no harm done. Thank you though" she said turning to the other girl, who scrolled her shoulder with a smile.

"I hate bullies" she said coolly.

"I'm Penny" she introduced herself.

"I'm Hermione Granger" the girl with frizzy hair said "This is Cora, he is Seamus and he is Neville"

"Didn't you happen to have seen a toad?" the boy asked.

"Sorry, no" answered Penny, she really hoped he would find his pet again. Then she turned to Ron's compartment, those three got out from there.

"What has been going on?" asked Hermione entering the boys' compartment as if she was a ticket inspector.

"Ronnie are you and Harry alright?" she asked entering too. Ron and Harry were there and her twin was holding Scabbers by his tail. She gasped and took it in her hands.

"Ron have you been fighting?" asked Penny checking on Scabbers that seemed just asleep.

"Scabbers has been fighting, not us" he said before turning to Hermione "Can we help you with something?"

"You better hurry up and put your robes, I've just been up to the front to ask the conductor, and he says we're nearly there" Hermione really seemed a girl that liked to have everything under her control, but she was even very polite, after all she was warning them.

"Would you mind leaving while we change?" said Ron.

"All right - I only came here because people outside are behaving very childish" she said in a sniffy voice "And you've got dirt on your nose, by the way, did you know?" Ron glared at her and she left.

Penny looked Harry who looked at her with a shy smile, she then noticed a lot of sweets on the sits "You were hungry, were you?" she said petting Scabbers, then she turned to Ron with wide eyes "Have you found Agrippa?"

Ron shook his head "No, but Harry found Dumbledore" Penny looked at Harry who nodded.

"And Ron gave me Morgana and lots of others"

"So he can start to collecting them" they really seemed to get along and Penny was really happy.

"Oh, wow. That's good" she said giving Scabbers back to Ron "I can't wait to arrive" she then looked out of the window noticing the sky getting darker and darker and Harry did the same, probably wondering what Hogwarts would be like.

"Penny we have to change" Ron said and Penny nodded her head, but didn't move.

"Penny" he said gesturing to Harry.

"Oh yes" she exclaimed, she wasn't shy about her brothers changing in front of her, but Harry wasn't her brother. So she took her robes.

"I'll go change, I'll see you in a bit" she said before exiting.

When she got back the two boys had already changed and she put her previous clothes in her bag, but suddenly her harmonica fell on the floor. She was ready to pick it up, but Harry was faster.

"You play?" he asked curiously.

"Oh yes" said Penny.

"Almost every time" Ron said nodding his head. Penny giggled.

"All my brothers say that if I don't talk, I play" Harry smiled less shyly than before.

"I would like to hear you play, sometimes" Penny giggled again.

"Oh wow, yes of course" Harry was very nice and she could see how Ron was at ease with him. She really thought that they could be the best of friends, she just hoped that the three of them would be sorted in the same House, but she really didn't want to think about that, she couldn't wait to arrive to Hogwarts.

 **Thanks for reading! I hope you've liked it!**

 **Have a nice week!**

 **Ciao, Ciao!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hello everyone! New Chapter!**

 **Enjoy!**

 **I do not own anything, but my OC's.**

 **11**

 _ **CORA**_

"Have you found it?" Cora didn't expect she would have spent her first journey to Hogwarts looking for a missing toad. Where could it be?

"Not yet, Dean" said Cora.

Cora had met Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan when they all were trying to look for a sit, so they decided to do it together. Seamus was short, with sandy colored hair and very quick to laugh. Dean was calmer than Seamus, but not when he talked about football. Dean supported the West Ham United Football Club, while Cora supported the Arsenal. She didn't even care he supported another team, she was just happy to know that another person was into football as much as she was.

The three of them had found their sits in a compartment with a girl and a boy. They both were older than them, they were about to start their second year. The girl's name was Fay and she was really kind and loved flowers, apparently. The boy was Steve, he had a tick Scottish accent, black short hair and squared glasses, he didn't talk much, he was very focused on his drawing; Cora had seen one of them and he was drawing the five of them in comic style, he was very good at that.

The two friends talked about Hogwarts, apparently they were both in Hufflepuff; they were talking about their favorite places and eating the strange wizardly sweets; the Chocolate Frogs had really took her off guard, when someone entered their compartment. That's how they met Neville and Hermione; the boy had lost its toad and so they all decided to help him. It had started as a game but without realizing it they had been looking for the lost pet for half of the journey.

"You've lost Cora's fight" Seamus exclaimed with a laugh.

Dean looked at Cora with wide eyes "Really?"

"I didn't fight" Cora said simply "A git pushed a girl"

"We are arriving in a few minutes, I've asked the conductor" Hermione said entering the cabin and Cora couldn't help but frown "You should wear your robes" She hadn't known Hermione for long, but Cora could really not get why the girl always needed the urge to say what she thought or what she had read. Cora wasn't a girl who stressed easily but just by knowing that Hermione had already read all the school books made her almost uneasy. Her aunt hadn't told her it was necessary to read and practicing over the whole program before the start of the terms, but maybe she had to, or not?

"Thank you, Hermione" said Fay with a smile before turning to Cora "We should go to the bathroom so the boys can change" Cora nodded her head, taking her robes from her camping backpack and followed Fay through the corridor of the train.

"So have you found the toad?" Cora looked behind her back and saw a tall girl, with dark hair, dark make-up and dark clothes talking with Steve, who pushed his glasses up his nose.

"No, Sienna" he said "I feel sorry for him"

"You've tried your best don't worry" the girl said with a large white smile.

She had barely got the time to wear her robes that the train come to a stop.

"I have to go take my backpack" she said opening the door of the bathroom and looking from behind the door, but Fay shook her head.

"Don't worry, you'll find everything at school later" Fay said kindly adjusting her yellow and black tie.

Cora waited for Seamus and Dean to arrive where she was then she walked with them out of the train. She looked at the end of the train wondering if Marsh was alright. Her eyes wondered on the platform, it seemed a normal platform full of students; there were some of them who had red and yellow tie, others had it green and white, others blue and white and others yellow and black as Fay's and Steve's. It had surely to do with the Hogwarts houses; her aunt and her father had been members of Gryffindor house and she had told Cora the story behindall the Houses, but Cora hadn't been paying much attention so she really didn't remember.

"Firs' year, firs' ear, this way"a voice roared making them turn.

Seamus gasped "Guys have you seen that?!" honestly it was difficult not to see the man that was walking towards them with a lamp in his hand, in his gigantic hand. Everything was huge about that man, he was extremely tall, with a large bush of curly hairs as a beard.

"Well hello, Harry" Cora saw the man smiling kindly looking at a boy with messy black hair. She hadn't seen Harry all the day, but she knew he had traveled in a compartment near hers, but everyone had been creeping around Harry's compartment just to pick a look at the Boy Who Lived, she thought he could feel uneasy, so she decided to not go and say hi.

The large man talked a moment to Harry before saying to the first year students to follow them.

"Good luck with the Sorting" said Fay before waving to Cora, Seamus and Dean who waved back, then she turned to talk with a red haired boy who had tapped her on the shoulder.

They followed the big man in a dark, narrow path. It was so dark that for a moment Cora wished she could see in the dark.

"I can't see anything" Seamus said giving voice to everyone's thoughts, suddenly Neville gasped and Dean helped him not letting him fall down.

"Ye all get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec" the man said "Jus' round this bend here"

After having round a corner, the path opened onto the edge of a black lake. In front of them, at the top of a mountain there was a huge castle with lots of towers, the light through its windows shined brightly in the dark. That was surely something Tyler would have liked to see; for a moment she really wished her friend had been a wizard too he would have enjoyed all of that. She looked at it trying to remember every detail so that she could describe it to Tyler in a letter.

Everyone had their eyes fixed on the view before themand without looking away they walked to the lake were wood boats waited for them.

"No more'n four to a boat!" at the man's words, Cora turned to Dean and Seamus who smiled at her excitedly. Dean hopped first in the boat and helped Cora and Seamus to do the same. Cora set down and looked the lake water; she was almost tempted to touch its dark surface, but decided against it, then she turned and saw the Hermione and Neville set in the boat next to theirs, not far, on another boat Cora spotted Harry talking with a red haired boy and the short girl she had met on the corridor of the train and in another boat there was the rude pale boy, sitting with his two massive friends.

Once the man set down alone on his boat they started to move towards the castle. The more they were getting closer, the more it was possible to distinguish the many details of its walls. She had never seen Hogwarts even if she spent lots of times in Hogsmade, where her aunt lived.

"Heads down!" yelled the man when they reached the cliff; in front of them there was a passage covered with ivy and when they entered they had to bent their heads to not hit the rocks above them. They were under the castle, in a dark tunnel till they arrived on an harbor where they could get out of the boat; Dean and Seamus got out before her and then they helped Cora to get out, there was no reason, but they were being kind so Cora accepted the help nonetheless.

Suddenly the man turned to Neville with a toad in his big hand asking for the boy if it belonged to him.

"Trevor!" he yelled with relieved taking the little pet in his hand.

Trevor's surely a traveler, Cora thought, how did he got there?

The party walked up stone steps and green grass up to the giant castle Oak front door. Then the man knocked three times and the door opened.

"I'm so excited!" muttered Seamus with a low cry making Cora and Dean snort in unison.

Once the door was opened in front of them the figure of a witch, with black hair in green-emerald robes was clear to see. A figure that Cora knew very well.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall" said the man kindly.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here" Cora's aunt said formally, before turning and lead them into the castle. The entrance only was very big, lightened with flaming torches.

Her aunt lead them in a small empty chamber next to what seemed to be the Great Hall.

"Welcome to Hogwarts" said her aunt "The banquet will start shortly, but before we begin you'll be sorted in your Houses" she told them that the Houses' names were Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin "The Sorting is very important" the woman kept saying "Because here, your House will be like your family; you'll study with your House's members, you'll eat with them and you'll spend your free time in your house common room" her aunt's eyes travelled between all of them "And each of your triumphs will earn your House points, while any rulebreaking will make you lose point" Cora showed a little smile to her aunt when the woman's eyes fixed on the girl. Then her aunt looked away explaining that at the end of the year, the house that had earned more points would have won the House Cup.

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes. I suggest to each of you to smarten up while you are waiting. I shall return when we are ready for you. Please, wait quietly" she said sternly before walking away giving a last look at Cora.

Of course the moment the woman got out everyone started to spoke quietly with each other.

"What do you think we have to do?" asked Dean thoughtfully.

"Some kind of test?" asked Seamus slightly in panic.

Cora scrolled her shoulders "I have really no idea" her aunt had never told her what she would have faced during the Sorting Ceremony, telling her that Cora would have done better face it without knowing, so that she could be sorted perfectly.

Suddenly the people behind them started to scream making her jump. Dean gave out a little gasp in surprise, while Seamus screamed without really know what was going on. Turning her head above them there were at least twenty ghosts coming through the wall. Cora frowned, her aunt had told her about ghosts, but she had thought she was talking about very old people not actual ghosts.

Note for me, ghosts exist.

She wasn't sure if writing that to Tyler, knowing how he got scared just with dark or horror movies.

Cora looked at the ghosts talking with each other and then with them when they noticed them and she wondered if everyone could be a ghost after their deaths and if they acted like they did when they were alive.

One of the ghost seemed to be a fat Friar and he was hoping for them to be in Hufflepuff, Cora's eyes fell on the short girl with red hair that with a big smile was waving at each ghost that got near to her; next to the girl Harry was looking around him and after a moment he noticed Cora and with a small smile he waved his hand at her and Cora did the same.

"Move along, now!" said a sharp voice that belonged to Cora's aunt "The Sorting Ceremony is about to start" the ghosts flew away one by one and the new students formed a line. Dean and Seamus where in front of them and at Cora's back she spotted Hermione with a controlled excited expression.

The Great Hall was beautiful, it was impossible to deny that. There were lots of colorful windows and lit candles where floating in mid hair over four long tables full with students. Looking up she noticed that there wasn't the ceiling, but a night sky full of bright stars and Cora smiled at the sight.

"It's bewitched to look like the sky outside" Cora heard Hermione said to someone "I read about it in 'Hogwarts, A History'" Cora couldn't stop a frown, she had read Micky Mouse's comics during summer. She was sure that her aunt would have liked someone like Hermione as a niece.

They arrive before the teachers' table set in front of them. There were curious people there; the tall man that had accompany them, Hagrid her aunt had called him, there was a very short wizard that could barely be seen over the table, a man dressed all in black with a hooked nose, a man with a turban and countless others as strange. Then she spotted a young woman dressed with muggle clothes and Cora couldn't believe to see familiar clothes there. Then right in front of them an old wizard with glasses shaped as half-moon, long white hair, beard and mustache and with a kind expression. It must have been Dumbledore and Cora couldn't help but being surprised by the man's colorful robes.

Cora's aunt made them stop in front of the teachers, she set a four-legged stool before the first years and on it an old ragged pointy head. Cora instinctively looked towards her aunt frowning and nodding to the hat. What kind of test could it be that involved an old hat? But her aunt looked at her sternly before turned to look at the hat. A moment of silence filled the room and then the hat moved. Cora blinked her eyes in surprise, how could a hat move on its own! And if that wasn't strange enough it started to sing.

The hat sang about the four Houses telling them that Gryffindor was the house of bravery, daring and chivalry. Hufflepuffs were loyal and just, while Ravenclaws were wise and witty. Lastly Slytherinswere determined and cunning. So that was de difference between the Houses, but Cora wasn't really sure which one she belonged the most.

"So we've just got to try on the hat!" Cora heard the red hair boy in front of her whisper to Harry.

"Oh wow! We have to try a talking hat!" the red haired girl said excitedly.

"I'll kill Fred" the boy said "He was going on about wrestling a troll"

Cora observed them before turning to Dean and Seamus, she really hoped they would end up in the same house, she liked those boys.

"When I'll call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted" Cora's aunt announced "Abbott, Hannah!"

A girl with blonde pigtails walked closer to Cora's aunt, she took the hat and put it over her head till her eyes weren't visible to see. Not so after the hat shouted "HUFFLEPUFF"

Her aunt kept calling names and each students got sorted in their house who always roared in welcoming claps.

"Finnigan, Seamus!" her aunt called and before Seamus could go, he turned to them and Dean give him a thumbs up while Cora smiled at him who got sorted in Gryffindor. Cora clapped her hands watching him run to the table of the house.

Hermione happened to been sorted in Gryffindor, too, as happened to Neville after a long time of silence from the hat.

Then arrived the turn of the pale boy whose name she came to know was Draco Malfoy who had been sorted in Slytherin, now she knew which house she didn't want to be part of.

"McGonagall, Cora" at the mention of her name students behind her back gasped, but both Cora and her aunt ignore them and the girl moved to the woman, she took the hat from her aunt's hands, set down on the stool and put the hat on the head since it covered her eyes. She waited for a moment before a small voice ringed in her head, like it came from inside herself.

"It's clear, it's very clear, Cora McGonagall. You can't be anything but…GRIFFINDOR!" she heard the hall clapping and when she took off the hat she gave it to her aunt who nodded to her. Cora smiled at her before running to her housemates. Cora smiled at the other students and she sat next to Seamus who hugged her. She laughed and turned to the new years left. Lots of names had been called and sorted before Harry Potter got called.

People gasped loudly and people started to ask if they heard it right, if the real Harry Potter had come to Hogwarts.

"Oh my God" a pretty girl with black hair and grey eyes said looking the boy, next to her the girl with dark make up turned to a boy with red hair, that was set next to a boy that looked exactly like him.

"You weren't making this up" she said with her tick Scottish accent.

The red head boy put an hand on his chest with a fake dramatic expression.

"You insult me, Sien. Do I ever lie?"

"Don't make me answer that"

"Shh!" said another red haired boy, with a stern expression and a shiny badge on his chest with a P on it.

Cora turned again to look at Harry, he was already set and she couldn't see his eyes. The room felt silent in a moment either students and teachers were looking the boy and Cora couldn't help but feel nervous for him. At home barely no one noticed Harry, he was silent and many were scared of Dudley, and now he was surrounded by people who knew his name and wanted to know him. It must have been stressful for him. Cora's eyes fixed on the young woman dressed in Muggle clothes, she was chewing her bottom lips, playing with her fingers.

But when the hat shouted "GRYFFINDOR!" the Gryffindor table shot up clapping and yelling in excitement.

"We got Potter! We got Potter!" the two twins shouted clapping their hands and as soon as Harry got to the table everyone quickly introduced themselves to the boy who set down with a shy smile next to Neville, he looked at Cora and smiled before turning to look at the table and smile in the young woman's direction who had a big smile on her face.

"Thomas, Dean" at the name Cora turned and she saw Seamus cross his finger, but they didn't have to wait long before the hat shouted "GRYFFINDOR!" Cora and Seamus clapped their hands as did their housemates. Dean high-fived Seamus and set next to Cora.

Then it was the turn of the short girl with red hair whose name was Penelope Weasley that as soon as the hat had sorted her in Gryffindor thanked Cora's aunt and the teachers before running to their table and hugged one of the two twins.

"Yeah, Penny!" the boy said happily while the other twin ruffled her hair.

"Well done, Penny" said the strict boy. The girl waved to the girls in front of the twins and did the same to the others Gryffindor members, then she ran and set next to Dean, smiling brightly at Harry who looked at her happly.

"Weasley, Ronald!" her aunt called.

"Come on, Ronnie" muttered Penny crossing her fingers. So they were twins.

After a moment even the boy got sorted in Gryffindor and all the red heads on her table clapped loudly congratulating with their brother that set next to Harry.

After the last boy, Blaze Zabini, who got sorted in Slytherin the Ceremony was over and that meant that Cora was officially an Hogwarts student.

 **Thank you for reading my fanfiction. Please, let me know what you think of it!**

 **Ciao, Ciao.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hello! Here a new chapter!**

 **I hope you'll enjoy it.**

 **I do not own anything but my OC, everything else belongs to J.K. Rowling**

* * *

12

 **PENNY**

 _Dear Bill,_

 _I hope everything is fine in Egypt._

 _It's my first day at Hogwarts and as first thing I needed to write to you, mum, dad and Charlie. I've been sorted in Gryffindor and so have Ron, but he is still sleeping now. Anyway, here it's beautiful, I haven't imagined Hogwarts like this and I really like it. Just wanted for you to know that we are fine and we love you. I miss you, Bill. I'll be writing you soon._

 _Penny._

 _Ps; Ron misses you too._

Penny read the letter she had prepared for Bill a last time, making sure that everything was fine. When she was satisfied, she ran to Percy asking him if she could borrow his new owl.

"Penny, I need him now" Percy said.

"Oh, sorry" she said looking down, she should have known that. After all Percy's owl was new, maybe Percy didn't want for him to get tired.

"I'll bring it at the howler later, alright?" He said smiling at last.

Penny gasped "There's a place where all owls are?"

Percy shock his head "Penny" he said almost pleading "It's your first day, please be on time for lessons" Penny nodded, hoping to seem convincing. She really wanted to see all those owls.

"Penny" Percy stopped her before she could walk away "Letters, now. Then breakfast. I'll be down in five minutes" Penny gave out a breath, he had caught her and Percy's five minutes were actually five minutes, she didn't have time to visiting the owlery.

Penny was very excited for her first day, as she had been excited the previous night. She had loved the moving stairs, the pink lady guarding the Griffindor common room and the her cozy and red bed. She loved the dormitory: there were five beds and she shared her room with Hermione, Cora, Pervati and Lavander. The first thing Penny had done when she entered the dormitory was placing the colorful cover her mother had made on her bed, positioning her animal shaped slippers beside her bed and putting her harmonica and Cordelia's drawing on her bedside table. But her favorite moment had been when she put on her uniform, finally as a Hogwarts' student and not just covered in her brothers' clothes playing at being a witch.

Hermione had been the first to wake up and she was already set on the sofa of the common room reading an heavy book. Penny wanted to say hi to her, but she seemed so focused on her reading that Penny didn't want to disturb her, Percy didn't like when they made noise when he was reading.

She wondered if Ron was awake by now. She really hoped so, knowing how much he liked to sleep. She walked towards the stairs of the boys dormitory. She looked down at the stepsthoughtfully: the night before Percy had said that only girls could go up girls' dormitory, if a boy had tried the stairs would have turned in a slide making the intruder falling back in the common room.

"Hey, Penny" her cheeks became suddenly red hearing Oliver Wood's voice.

"Hi" she said waving her hand, looking at him walking down the stairs.

"Ready for your first day?" He asked with a smile and Penny could just nod her head.

"Great" he exclaimed "I have to go now, but if you're looking for your brothers go up" Oliver said movIng to make enough space for her to pass, but Penny looked thoughtfully the stairs.

"Won't they turn?" She asked trying to ignore her embarrassment.

"No" he said with a little laugh that made Penny smile even wider "Or dormitory is safe, go on" he said encouraging. Penny nodded her head and step on the stairs glad that it didn't turn.

"See" she heard Oliver say.

"Oh, wow. Thank you" Penny said.

Oliver smiled again "No, problem. See you later" he said before walking away.

"Bye" Penny muttered when he was already gone. She was so happy of being a Gryffindor.

The girl took a breath before running up the stairs.

"Hi" she waved at every boy who passed next to her. Boys' dormitory were exactly the same as the girls, just with only boys. She had asked at a boy where the first years slept and he politely told her.

She arrived in front of the heavy wooden door and knocked, muttering a song she had invented while she waited.

"Hi" the boy who had opened the door was the one who had lost his toad.

"Hi, Neville" she said waving her hand "Is Ron awake?"

Neville nodded "He just woke up. Do you want to get in?"

"If I can"

Neville opened the door wider to make her enter. Even the rooms where exactly the same: five beds and five bedside tables. She saw Neville's toad still sleeping in his cage, looking to another bed she saw half of the covers fallen on the floor and Seamus, the Irish boy, trying to make the knot of his red and golden tie. She smiled at him, who returned the gesture before she moved to the next bed, with a beautiful with owl on the bedside table.

"Oh, so cute" she said getting closer to the pet, starting to stork her soft feathers.

"Her name is Hedwig" turning Penny smiled at Harry who was adjusting his glasses over his nose.

"Oh wow, so elegant" she said "It fits her" Harry smiled at her before speaking again.

"Ron is in the bathroom, he just woke up" Penny looked at the bed next to Harry's, she was sure it was Ron's: on it there was the same cover her mother had made for each of them, Scabbers sleeping in his cage and a poster of the Chuddley's Cannon.

"Yeah, Neville told me" she said sitting on Ron's bed "Are you excited?"

"Yeah, very" Harry answered making Penny smile.

"I can't wait to study Cure of Magical creatures, but I have to wait until third year, so I guess I want can't wait to do Defense Against the Dark Arts, so we can talk about some creatures. What about you?"

Harry blinked his eyes "I.. I really don't know, I've never heard about any of these subjects"

Penny's eyes widened "What does Muggles study?"

"Oh" Harry said "literature, geography, math…"

"What's math?"

"Study of numbers" Harry said.

"It sounds something that Percy would like" she said without stop smiling, then her eyes fixed on a poster on the wall.

"What's West Ham?" She asked getting up to look closely at the poster.

"It's Dean's" Harry said following her "It's a football team"

"Football…" she repeated interested, she had never heard that.

"It's the best team that exists" Dean's voice made her turn.

Seamus laughed "Don't let Cora hear you"

"So it's a game?" Penny asked looking between Dean and Harry, who nodded. Penny smiled wider. A muggle game.

"What are the rules?" She didn't even finished to make the question that Dean had started to explain to her how that football worked andit was really strange: they didn't use brooms and they played with must one ball, but the players were a lot and they had to run all the time. It sounded a kind of game her sibling would have played and Ginny too.

"Penny what are you doing here?" Ron had just came out of the bathroom, his toothbrush in one of his hands, his tie loose around his shoulders and his robes hanging on his arm.

"Wanted to be sure you were awake" she ran to him giving him a kiss on the cheek before going towards the door "I'll see you later" she waved at everyone before running down.

Walking down the stairs she smiled and talked with the paintings hanging against the stone walls of Hogwarts, but since now Penny's favorite part had been the Great Hall, with the Houses' tables and the flying candles and the roof where you could see the sky outside.

"Morning" she said hugging George from behind, who was sitting talking with Lee and Fred.

"Hey, Pen" George said while the girl kissed Fred.

"Where's Ronnie?" Fred asked.

"He is arriving, he's with Harry" she explained preparing her plate for her breakfast.

"What do you have as first lesson, little lady?" Asked Lee curiously.

Penny thought for a moment before saying "Transfiguration with McGonagall"

"Oh good luck" Fred said, making Penny frown.

"She is great, Penny" George added "She is just very strict"

"And scary" Fred said.

"And amazing" Lee said "I had lots of fun during Quidditchmatchs last yaer"

"At least you don't have Snape as first" Fred said and Penny frowned.

"Snape?" George drank his pumpkin juice nodding his head.

"The potion master" he said.

"He is a git" Fred said, making George and Lee nodding their heads.

Ron and Harry arrived not long after sitting next to Penny and starting to talk about Hogwarts and how they had spent their first night. Penny hadn't done much: Hermione read before going to bed, Pervati and Lavander talked for a bit and Cora hang a poster at the side of her bed and she took out from her strange truck a white and black ball, Penny had talked a bit with them before going to bed, she had been very tired and sleep got the best of her.

Harry and Ron had done more or less the same, but while Ron had slept, Harry had been so excited to not being able to sleep until late night.

"I'll be right back" Harry said standing up, walking towards the professors' table.

"Ronnie" Penny said making her brother look up from his plate "Who's the woman Harry is talking to?" Ron looked in the direction Harry had gone. Now the boy was talking to a very pretty woman, who was smiling kindly at him.

"I don't know" Ron said before Penny turned to George, pulling his robe's sleeve.

"Georgie" she said "Who's she?"

"Oh" George said "That's Rachel, she is the school counselor"

"She is pretty" Penny said making George laugh.

"I know" he said "Lee never stops talking about how pretty she is"

Harry didn't know anything about their world, but he knew the big man from the day before and the Hogwarts' counselor, she wondered how.

Penny first lesson hadn't gone how she had planned: while walking to the Transfiguration classroom, the stairs had changed and she and Ron and Harry had arrived at the third floor, where no one was allowed to go. They even had an unpleasant encounter with the caretaker Flinch and his cat Mrs. Norris, at first Penny thought she was cute but she growled at her making Penny change her mind.

When they had arrived in the classroom the lesson had already started, Professor McGonagall just glared strictly at them watching them sitting down, some Slytherins laughed at them while Penny took out her book, notebook, and quill. Ron had set behind her, while she had set next to Hermione.

"It's the first day" Hermione muttered.

"Oh," Penny whispered taking out her wand "The stairs changed" Her gaze then fixed on the room, especially the animals that were in there: birds, cats, and monkeys.

She smiled happily, before looking at her classmates; they had that lesson with Slytherins and the class was divided perfectly in two, Gryffindor at a side Slytherins at the other. She spotted the pale boy from the train set with a boy very tall and surrounded by a group of girls that didn't seem very nice. Then she spotted Dean and Seamus sitting together and in front of them there was Neville and Cora who had her fingers black because of the ink and she was trying to take in of.

The first lesson of transfiguration was focused on making them learn how to change a match into a needle. The professor made it seem very easy, but it really wasn't.

"I don't understand" Ron muttered to a very confused Harry "That's the words, but it doesn't change"

"Maybe the movement is wrong" Harry tried.

The professor had made everyone try the charm but none had succeeded so far, Penny had tried but it didn't even changed color.

"Miss. Granger" Hermione looked ready as the professor called her and she moved the wand speaking the words and Penny smiled amazed when she saw the match changing, but it suddenly stopped.

"Well done, miss Granger. Half of it is a great success" Hermione smiled satisfied making everyone impressed.

Neville tried but nothing happened, as happened to Dean, Seamus and Malfoy, the pale boy, then the professor walked to Cora who was still trying to get the ink from her fingers and as soon the professor got close, the girl looked up, took her wand and moved it saying the words and the matchbecame a perfect needle.

"She did it" Harry muttered, making Ron nod. Penny looked amazed at what Cora had done, while Hermione turned to her match again.

"Good" the professor said almost unimpressed beforewalking to another student. Cora smiled before returning to look at her fingers.

"No points?" Ron asked.

"Maybe it's because it's the first day" Harry guessed, but it seemed to have affected more them than Cora who was coolly making sure that no ink was on her fingers anymore.


	13. Chapter 13

CHAPTER 13

CORA

"Cora, Marsh had a mail for you" Seamus said "He's been here ten minutes"

"Sorry?" Cora said anxiously looking up from her astronomy book, she was desperately trying to find the Taurus constellation, how hard could it be?

Very.

She looked down at her hands covered in black ink, it was since she had taken that damn quill for the first time that her hands had taken that color.

Why don't they use pens?!

That was the only think she could think of… Well, not the only. For how much talent she had in Transfiguration, her lack of skills with any other subject was unbelievable and it was just the first week. She had fallen asleep during History of Magic where their teacher Professor Binns, a ghost, was so boring that her eyes really couldn't stay open. Three times a week they had Herbology in the greenhouse, Professor Sprout was a very likable person, but the same couldn't being said of her plants; on her second lesson Cora had been stung by the plant they were studying and her finger had hurt since then and now it was Friday.

On Wednesdey night they had to arrive at the highest tower in all Hogwarts to look up at the stars, and it was really beautiful, but Cora hadn't being able to find a single constellation.

She didn't dare to think at the day she had to take the wand to use it in Charm class, that until now had been most theory.

"God, I feel I'm going mental" she growled before put her head on the table.

Dean laughed "Come on, Cora. It's just the first week"

"A hell of a week" she answered, her face still pressed on the paper of her book.

"We have just to take the hang of it" that told by Seamus didn't really made her feel better, he had made explode something almost everyday.

"I miss math" at her words the both of her friends started to laugh "I'm serious" but that just made them laugh harder.

"We are on the same boat" said Seamus drying a tear that had fallen from his eyes from his eye because of the laughters "Give it time"

Cora took a breath "Maybe you are right" she said stroking Marsh feathers. Maybe she was worrying too much, none of her classmates had done a lot during class, except Hermione, she managed to do everything and for what Cora knew she was muggleborn. Cora was sure her Aunt would have liked Hermione as her niece.

"What do we have now?" She asked biting her bacon.

Dean took his schedule and started to look through it "We have… double Potions"

"With the man all Gryffindor hates?" Seamus asked. And he indeed was right there was no Gryffindor that liked him, or anyone that wasn't a Slytherin actually. Fay had told them that he usually favored Slytherins since he was the Head of House Slytherin.

"It's the one all in black, right?" Cora asked and Dean nodded his head.

"Slytherins are creepy, he seems creepy enough. It make sense" Seamus said nodding his head. Cora and Dean looked at each other before laughing.

"It's not for that" Cora said.

"Yeah" Dean said "I believe it's because he was a Slytherin himself"

"Then why Quirrel isn't our Head?" Seamus asked.

"My aunt is teacher from longer" Cora said "And she was a Gryffindor"

"What about Quirrel?" Seamus asked, but Cora scrolled her shoulders.

"Who knows" but surely he wasn't a Gryffindor.When Seamus had asked him about a zombie he had faced the professor changed the subject start talking of the weather.

When Cora and her friends arrived where Potion lesson was taken, Cora had a more clear imagine of the character of their Professor. That lesson was taken in the dungeons, cold and creepy, with pickled animals floating in jars all around the walls.

"I don't like this place" Cora heard Penny say to Neville in front of her.

"Where do we sit?" Seamus asked looking around.

"I would say away from dead animals, but…" Dean said looking around. When they moved someone bumped into Cora who got caught by Seamus. When she turned she saw the pale boy always accompany by those two gorillas without brains.

"Are you blind or something?" She said.

"You were there doing nothing" the pale boy said with a smirk.

"So you push me?" Before she could get close to the boy, Dean stopped her to lead her to her sit.

"That git" she muttered sitting down. She took a breath to calm herself before opening her bag and taking out her pink pencil case, she glared at the ink in front of her.

Just pencil for me, she thought starting to take out pencils and pencil sharpeners, she couldn't bear to see her hands black any longer. A laugh made her turn to her right and she saw Harry set next to her looking at her desk.

"You brought your pencil case?"

"Apparently, I can't use a quill" she said showing him her hands.

He laughed "It's not that easy" She looked at him amused appreciating his kindness.

"How is it going?" Harry asked "Being a McGonagall here?"

Cora scrolled her shoulder "A few people just asked me if I can help them with my aunt. Not as stressing as being Harry Potter"

"You've noticed" he said.

"It's hard not to" since the first night everyone was talking about Harry Potter, they looked at him walking in the halls and whispered every time they saw him. Even Professors weren't different, Flitwick had fallen from his pile of books when he had read his name.

"Yeah, it's strange, but I try not to pay much attention to that" Cora didn't envy him, but Harry's friend Ron seemed to be able to distract him when he needed.

Suddenly a loud bang made them turn and Professor Snape entered the room. His face was strict, his eyes black as were his clothes were and his hair. The first thing he started to do was reading through the register, but he stopped when he read Harry's name.

"Ah, yes" he said softly " Harry Potter. Our new – celebrity" the pale boy laughed with his friends at that and Cora found herself frowning at those words turning to Harry who was sharing a look with Ron.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and the exact art of potion making" he said once he had finished looking through the register "I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with his fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creeps through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses" Cora felt doomed, if she had problems with Astronomy and almost everything she couldn't be positive about Potions "I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death – if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach"

"Cute" Cora mumbled sarcastically to herself, seeing how full of himself that man was.

"Potter!" Snape said suddenly in the silence making everyone startled "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Cora shared a look with Dean before turning to Harry, who clearly didn't know the answer, obviously. No one knew those things… No one but Hermione Granger, apparently, who raised her hand. Cora didn't even pay attention to her anymore, nor she was surprised when she knew something. So she just rolled her eyes before turning to Harry again.

"I don't know, sir" Harry said, but what really Cora hadn't expected was seeing Snape's lips curl into a smirk.

"Clearly fame isn't everything" he said. He seemed to really enjoy that moment "Let's try again, Potter. Where would you look if I told you to find a bezoar?"

A beorzar what? Was he making this up? Cora really wanted to help Harry, but she was as confused as he was.

"I don't know, sir" other laughter from the git and his friends arrived at Cora's ears that almost let a growl escape her lips.

"Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh Potter?" He was literally ignoring the only one who did it, how much of a douche bagcould he get?

Cora looked Harry again who was bravely keeping eye contact with Snape.

"What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?" Again?

Cora's eyes fell on Hermione who had stood up with her hand still up. Why wouldn't she help him if she knew?

"I don't know" said Harry once more "I think Hermione does, though, why don't you try her?" Cora lips curled in an impressed smile, while someone started to laugh and Seamus winked at Harry. But Snape however wasn't pleased at all.

"Sit down" Snape snapped to Hermione and for once Cora agreed with him "For your information, Potter asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for the monkshood and the wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite" Cora would have been impressed if that guy hadn't been so nasty, nasty with a terrible long nose.

"Well?" he said again "Why aren't you all copying that down?" everyone started to write down what the professor had just said and so did Cora after have glaring at the man "And a point will be taken from Gryffindor house for your cheek, Potter" Harry glared at the professor before starting to writing down.

"That was great" Cora whispered not looking from her notebook, but she heard Harry smile next to her.

Things hadn't gone better whenSnape decided to divide them into pairs to mix up what he said would be a very simple potion, one to cure boils. She ended up with Ron, which had been great, he was a really cool guy, but as she had imagined Potion wasn't her subject.

"And you call it a potion?" Snape said looking in the cauldron.

"I don't know how a potion is supposed to be like," Cora said before she could stop herself "I've never seen one" Snape glared at her with his empty black eyes but when Ron let out a snort he took two points from Gryffindor again.

"You should all look at the job Malfoy is doing" Professor Snape said making Cora and Ron glare at each other.

It didn't pass much time when the sound of an explosion made them turn. Neville had somehow managed to melt Seamus' cauldron, letting the potion fell on the floor.

"Get on the stool, get on the stool" Ron said to Cora pulling her by the arm. After a moment the floor was floated with that potion and poor Neville who had been drenched in it was moaning in pain because of the boils appeared on his arms and legs.

"Idiot boy!" Snape exclaimed moving his wand cleaning the floor "Take him to the hospital wing" he said to Seamus who nodded helping Neville. Cora was glaring at that man, that poor boy was just crying in front of him and he didn't even care. He just insulted him.

Suddenly Snape turned to Harry, who was working next to Ron "You – Potter – why didn't you tell him not to add the quills? Thought he made you look good if he got wrong, did you?" Harry looked at him incredulously, while Cora's eyes widening trying her best not to say anything "That's another point you've lost for Gryffindor" Harry seemed ready to argue but Ron stopped him kicking him, then he muttered something, but Cora hadn't being able to hear him.

"I have to get out of here" she muttered to Dean when the lesson was over. She couldn't believe what she had just seen, he wasn't favoring Slytherins, he was bullying his students, especially Harry.

"Let's go see if Neville is alright" Dean said encouraging making her nod.

The hospital wing was a large room fool of windows and beds and the nurse, Madam Pomfrey, seemed a very busy woman who ran up and down with bottles in her hands.

"Hey, Neville" Dean said once they got closer to his bed.

"How are you feeling, man?" asked Cora.

"It really hurt," he said "Madam Pomfrey took care of them, but I still feel them burn"

"It's going to be alright," said Seamus encouraging "Tomorrow you will be ready to come back"

Neville's eyes widened "I don't want to come back" steps were heard behind them and when Cora turned she saw the woman dressed in muggles' clothes walk towards the bed.

"Rachel" Neville called her almost pleading.

"What happened Neville? Are you alright?" the woman asked with a sweet and concerned voice.

Neville shook his head "I can't do it, Rachel. After today, I'm sure I can't do it"

"Don't worry about the accidents, it often happens, it doesn't make you less skilled then others" she said sitting next to him. It seemed that Neville knew that woman, who by the name should have been Hogwarts' counselor.

"He scares me to death" Neville complained again. Rachel frowned turning to the three of them.

"Professor Snape" Dean said.

"To be fair, he scares everyone," Seamus said nodding his head.

Rachel took a breath closing her eyes, then she turned to Neville "Listen to me, you are happy of being here, right?"

"Yes, but.."

"No buts. It's going to be fine. I promise you that" Rachel said "On my first year I dropped a potion on my feet and they started to grow. Now you are crying, but you'll laugh about it soon enough. This is a school you're here to learn. Forget about professors and focus on your work"

"You promise?" Neville asked.

"I promise" She smiled moving his hair away from his forehead.

Cora really hope she was right, the amount of stress she was already having was difficult to handle, but maybe she would have laughed about it in the future. But of one thing she was sure of: she would have never found something funny about Professor Snape.


	14. Chapter 14

CORA

"You're back" Sienna Lynox said turning her head towards the entrance of the common room. Cordelia Black was sitting in front of her with her notebook and pencil, drawing something like she always did.

"Luckily Sinister didn't makeus stay up till late, this time" Ron said sitting tiredly on the sofa next to Sienna, who smiled at him.

"I'm tired" Seamus said yawning "I'm going to bed" everyone waved at him who headed upstairs.

Penny noticed Cordelia and immediately she ran to her side to see what the girl was drawing. Cora was amazed at how much energy she had even at that hour.

"How's been your day?" Harry asked the girls. Cordelia let out a light laugh while Sienna groaned leaning back next to Ron.

"I've got detention tomorrow" she said.

"It's just the second week" Hermione Granger pointed out "How have you got detention?"

"We were at potion lesson" Cordelia said still showing the drawings to Penny.

"And" Sienna said "It wasn't my fault!" then she stood up "I think I'm going to sleep, night guys"

"See you later" said Cordelia smiling to her friend.

All first years were sit in the common room all sleepy, but too tired to get up.

"What we got tomorrow?" Neville asked from next to Cora.

"Transfiguration, History of Magic, Herbology and Flying lesson" Hermione obviously knew their schedule by the hand.

"We are going to fly on real broomstick?" Harry asked curiously at Ron, who nodded his head. Cora took a breath; Flying lesson was like P.E. in Muggle school, she had always done good, maybe the same would have happened the following day.

"Do you like Flying lesson, Cordelia?" Penny asked.

"Oh yes" the girl answered "Flying is a beautiful sensation, it's able to make you feel free" Cora felt the same when she ran, there wasn't a better sensation.

"Have you ever flown on a broom?" Harry asked Ron.

"Fred and George are on the team" Ron explained "As was Charlie, they shown me and Penny how to do it" at his words Penny nodded her head.

"I've read it's really difficult" Hermione said.

"You've read it?" Ron said sarcastically "That's a new" Cora let out a tired snort, sharing a look with Ron.

"Where have you read it?" Penny asked curiously to Hermione.

"Quidditch through the ages" she said "There are lots of tips"

"I would like to hear them" Neville said "My grandmother never let me on a broom" knowing how much Neville attracted accidents maybe she had been right.

"Flying isn't some kind of sport?" Cora asked looking at Ron.

"Sort of" he answered.

"So?" said Harry.

"So tips won't get you anywhere" Cora said standing up with a yawn "The only way to learn is practice. Now, sorry, but I'm going to sleep.See you tomorrow, guys"

She was really tired and she really didn't want to know what Hermione have read. She really didn't get that girl, why did she have to have everything and everyone under control, didn't it stressed her out?

Cora entered the dormitory and laiddown on her bed, she put an hand under her pillow and looked at the picture of her parents. She touched both her faces, wandering how her mother was doing without her. She wondered if she felt lonely. She really hoped not, she didn't want for her mother to be sad while she was at school.

"Goodnight" she said looking at her parents before putting back the photo at its place.

Morning arrived too soon as did Hermione's lecture on flying lesson. Neville was really anxious as Hermione was and he was the only one who was listening to her. Cora didn't have any expectation for that day, she didn't want any stress.

"What professor Snape wants you to do?" Cordelia's voice made her turn. The probably prettiest girl of the school was now talking to her friend with the heavy dark make up.

"Polishing stuff and the classroom" Sienna said before groaning "I hate him, I swear" Cora could agree with that, who wouldn't hate Snape.

"He is coming right now" Cordelia said trying to hide a smirk.

"Oh no" Sienna exclaimed, before the two Weasley twins arrive sitting at both sides of her.Cora looked at them trying to understand who was who, but it was almost impossible to distinguish them.

"Hey,Sien" one of the two said "It's a good day, eh?"

"Good day, indeed" said the other twin.

"What do you want, Weasley?" Sienna asked with an annoyed tone.

"My breakfast" he said taking a piece of bacon from Sienna's plate, who tried to stop him but failed

miserably.

"What are you going to do this weekend?" Asked the other twin "Now that we can go to Hogsmade, we can have a bit of freedom"

"Define freedom, George" Sienna said, surprising Cora, she knew who was who "When someone is forced to clean potion classroom 'til Monday" the night before Sienna had, infact, told them she had got detention.

"You won't be alone, Sien" the other, Fred, said "I'll be there"

Sienna glared at him "Of course! It's your fault"

Fred faked a shock expression "Me? You are the one who yelled at me in the middle of class"

"Are you kidding?" Sienna said back earning just a big smirk from Fred "If you hadn't thrown paper balls at me for the entire lesson I would have ignored you, like I always do"

Fred laughed "You don't ignoreme"the two of them kept arguing with each other while George turned to Cordelia.

"Are you going to Hogsmade?"

The girl nodded "I was supposed to go with Sienna, but a guy from Hufflepuff asked me to go so I think I'll go with him"

"Oh a date" said George with a smirk.

"I wouldn't call it like that" Cordelia smiled "What about you? No dates?"

George shook his head "No, no dates. The girl I like can't go"

It probably was Fay. Everytime she was around, George left his friends and brother to go and talk to her. While she was listening she hadn't noticed owls arriving with letters. Marsh was next to her nuzzling his head against her arm.

"Sorry, Marsh" she said taking the letter he had between his beak. She smiled when she read it was from Tyler. He told her about his new school and how he was glad that Dudley wasn't in it and he asked her how Hogwarts was and how were her wizard friends, then he told her how excited he was of using owls to send mails. He was so excited that it was a shame he wasn't a wizard, he would have had a lot of fun.

"It's a Rememberball!" Neville exclaimed making Cora turn "My gran send it to me, knowing I always forget things"

"That's so cute" Penny said from next to Ron, looking amazed the little crystal ball in his hand "Why's there red smoke now?"

"You've forgotten something" Hermione said and Cora frowned again. Even that? Why she had to know everything?

Neville was desperately trying to remember what he had forgotten when someone took the ball away from the boy, Cora didn't even have the time to turn that Harry and Ron had jumped on their feet, ready to argue. Not surprised at all Cora saw Malfoy with his two gorillas friends, Crabble and Goyle. Before anything could happen though Cora's aunt appeared next to them.

"What's going on?"

"Malfoy got my Rememberball, Professor" said Neville and Cora really wish Malfoy would have said something to make her aunt angry, but as a good Slytherin he always knew what he had to say.

"Just looking, professor" he said giving back the Rememberball and walking away.

"Why don't you leave him alone?" Cordelia's voice made her turn.

"Why do you care?" Malfoy said before returning to his table.

So Cordelia knew Malfoy, Cora wondered why?

That afternoon arrived fast and Cora found herself outside lined up with her fellow Griffindors and the Slytherins, looking down at a broom at her right. Madame Hooch arrived immediately and her appearence was a bit curious: her hair were short and grey and her eyes yellow as an hawk.

"What are you waiting for?" she backed "Get closer to your broom, hurry!" Cora shared a look with Seamus that just raised his eyebrows.

"Stick out your right hand over your broom and say 'UP'" Cora glared at her broom, not sure at all, it was all so new to her, more that she had expected.

She took a breath, trying to stay calm, she extended her hand over her broom and she spoke "Up!" and not surprised at all, her broom didn't move.

"Great…" She muttered glaring at her broom.

"Up!" Harry's voice made her turn and she widened her eyes when she saw his broom in his hand. She turned to look the others then and she saw Malfoy already holding his, Seamus raised his voice everythime his broomstick wasn't following his orders, Neville's hadn't move at all, while Hermione's was just rolling around.

Of course they kept trying, but not everyone succeeded, Cora didn't. After that Madame Hooch showed them how to properly hold a broomstick, Cora heard Harry and Ron laugh when the woman said to Malfoy he was doing it all wrong. And they were right. Malfoy had kept telling everyone how a good flyer he was and that he couldn't wait to start those lessons and Quidditch, a wizard game Cora's aunt was obsessed with.

"Now when I blow my whistle, you kick off the floor, hard" Madame Hooch said "Keep your broomsstady, rise a few feet and come straight on the floor leaning slightly forward. Ready – three – two" but suddenly Neville started to rise before Madame Hooch had blown her whistle.

"Get down boy!" She barcked, but Neville didn't look in the position of being in control of his broom.

"Oh, God" Cora muttered looking the broom fly higher and higher, then suddenly Neville looked down and after a moment he was falling down, no one could have done something and when he landed a loud 'crack' was heard.

"Is he alright?" Pervati asked to no one in particular.

"Broken wrist" Madame Hooch said helping Neville to his feet "Nothing serious, boy, don't worry" Cora frowned letting go of her broom, the broken wrist could be nothing but the trauma Neville could have maybe was something.

"None of you has to move, while I take this boy to the hospital wing" Madame Hooch said "You leave those brooms where they are or you'll be out of Hogwarts before you could say Quidditch"

"Poor Neville" Penny said to Ron "Everything always happens to him" and she was right. He had visited the hospital wing something like four times in not even two weeks.

"Did you see his face, the great lump?" Malfoy's voice made her growl. And all the Slytherins started to laugh with him.

"Would you ever shut up, Malfoy?" Cora said coolly.

"Ooh stiking for Lomgbottom, Cora?" Cora glared at the girl who had just spoken. Pansy Parkinson, Slytherin, was the female version of Malfoy: annoying and nasty "Never thought you'd like fat little crybabies"

"Pancy, you need some brains to be able to think" Cora answered without even looking at her. Some Gryffindors laughed, while Pansy just looked at her angrily.

"Look" Malfoy said ignoring them "It's that stupid thing Longbottom had" when Cora saw the Rememberballgrowl left her lips making Seamus look at her.

"You can't take that" Penny said "His grandmother gave it to him, it is a present"

"See if I care" Malfoy got closer to Penny, but Ron get between them glaring at the Slytherin with close fists.

"Give it here, Malfoy" Harry's voice made them turn in silence to watch and a nasty smirk appeared on Malfoy's lips.

"I think I'll leave it somewhere Longbottomhas to find it. Up a tree maybe"

"Give it here!" Harry exclaimed trying to take it from Malfoy, but the boy mount on his broom and flyed up. He wasn't lying he knew how to fly "Come and get it, Potter!"

Cora turned her head to Harry who had already his broom in his hand, ready to follow Malfoy. His determination was visible in his eyes and Cora knew he was going, even if he didn't know how to fly.

"No!" Hermione exclaimed "Madame Hooch told us not to move, you'll get us in trouble"

But Harry ignored her, kicking his feet on the ground and flying towards Malfoy, looking that scene Cora couldn't help but smirk, she hadn't expect all that determination from the shy and quite boy from number 4.

Girls gasped while Ron yelled "Get him, Harry!"

"Go, Harry!" Cora yelled next to him.

It was surprising how Harryflied naturally, he seemed to know exactly what to do, like he had done it all his life and Malfoy had noticed. He tried to hide it but he got fear in his eyes.

"Give it here. Or I'll knock you off of that broom" Cora heard Harry call. Malfoy looked puzzled "No Crabble and Goyle uphere to save your neck, Malfoy" Cora's smirk widened.

Malfoy tried to fly away from Harry, but he was faster following Malfowy very close, but suddenly Malfoy stopped yelling "Catch!" And with a movement he had thrown the Rememberballaway.

Every Gryffindor gasped, knowing it was even to see it now. But Harry speeded his fly towards no where in particular, he lean over and suddenly he stopped before flying back. The more he got closer the more it was possible to see he had something in his hand.

"He got it" Penny exclaimed "Ronnie, he got it!"

Everyone cheered but as soon as Harry landed on the ground a voice called for him.

"HARRY POTTER!" Cora turned her head to see her aunt's strict face while she was walking towards them.

"Never in all my time at Hogwarts I've seen – you could have broke your neck" her aunt said furiously. Harry couldn't get expelled because of Malfoy.

"But it wasn't his fault" Cora said stepping forward,

"Be quiet, Miss McGonagall" her aunt said.

"But Malfoy…"

"Enough Mr. Weasley. Potter, follow me" Her aunt said strictly. They had started to walk when Cora called again.

"That's not faire, aunt! At least hear us out" her aunt stopped and looked at Cora reproving.

"I said enough, Cora" the girl growled knowing she shouldn't have called her aunt, but she was just furious.

"That's not faire" Seamus said.

Sound of giggling made her turn to the Slytherins. Harry couldn't pay while Malfoy was there laughing with his friends.

That's not faire.


End file.
